Fifty Shades - 10 years later
by R-Babe
Summary: My thoughts on what life would be like 10 years later for Christian and Ana Grey. My first attempt at fanfiction.
1. Chapter 1

May 9 2021

Office of the CEO, GEH, Seattle

"WHAT THE FUCK! NOOOOO!" Christian Grey screamed at his computer screen. He quickly pressed an app on his iPhone to be directly contacted to his personal body guard Jason Taylor.

"Yes Mr. Grey?" Taylor asks.

"I need to get to Ana immediately!" Christian runs his shaking hand over the latest family portrait sitting on desk and then looks up at the portrait of Ana hanging on his office wall. It was one of the seven he purchased so long ago at the showing of Ana's friend Jose. Not that he had wanted to support that fucker, but they were so breath taking and he did not like other men drooling over the pictures. The other six were hanging in their various homes around the world.

"I'll get the car and meet you our front." Jason wonders what's happened now, but knows there is no sense in asking for details. What Christian Grey demands, Christian Grey gets – no questions asked. "_And things were going so well today"_ he sighs.

As soon as Christian Grey had disconnected, Jason Taylor rushed to the parking garage to get the SUV. "_Something's up as we weren't to be leaving for Grey Publishing for another hour_. " He calls Luke Sawyer, his equivalent with Anastasia Grey.

"Sawyer, it's Taylor. Has something happened at the Publishing house or God forbid Mrs. Grey? The Boss is going ape shit and we are about to head over there."

"Oh man! He sure gets relied up easily doesn't he?" Sawyer comments.

"He always has, but for the last few years not so much. Usually only if something affects his wife or children. " Taylor responds. "So, I repeat: WHAT has fucking happened at Grey Publishing?"

"All that I know at this moment is that a 'James Conner' arrived for a meeting with Mrs. Grey instead of the scheduled 'Jane Smith'. Since he wasn't on the pre-approved list, Security demanded identification. He had a handwritten statement from Ms Smith saying that she was indisposed and sent him in her place. He has a valid WSU student card which matches his Illinois state driver's license. I called the contact phone number we had on file for Ms Smith and the female that answered claimed to be her and Mr. Conner was one of her roommates. She did sound like shit. I'm currently running a back ground on Mr. Conner and will let you know asap." Sawyer explained.

"Christ! Why did this have to happen today of all days?" Taylor questioned.

"Why? What's the significance of today Jason?" Sawyer asked.

Taylor reminded Sawyer: "Ten years ago this afternoon, the editor of the student newspaper at WSU, one Katherine Kavanaugh, had an interview, after several months of planning, scheduled with our illusive Mr. Christian Grey. But Ms Kavanaugh was ill that day and shanghaied her sweet, innocent, shy roommate Anastasia Steele to fill her for her. When Ms Steele tripped and fell into the Boss man's office, it was love at first sight – although it took a few weeks before they both accepted that fact." Taylor allows himself a smile at the memory of seeing his big, bad boss coming to terms with his love of sweet Anastasia Steele.

"Mr. Grey has been planning on surprising his wife later this afternoon to celebrate that anniversary. He was aware of Ms Smith's interview and thought it was ironic that Mrs. Grey would be having an interview for the same publication and similar reason as his interview ten years ago. The background check on Ms Smith did not reveal any problem. But I guess when Mr. Grey received the immediate notification of this last minute substitution, a male no less, he's gone ape shit envisioning history is about to repeat itself."

"Oh Christ!" Sawyer responded. "Things are going to be explosive here! Mrs. Grey will soothe Mr. Grey down – eventually. I just hope not too many of us get caught in the line of fire."

"Let me know of the background check on Mr. Conner. _ If_ everything is fine, also send it directly to Mr. Grey. If there is anything questionable, delay sending to Mr. Grey as long as you can without jeopardizing your job Luke. I'll let you know when we're about five minutes away." Taylor said.

Once in the garage, Jason quickly gets into the SUV and pulls up in front of Grey House. He rolls his eyes when he sees Mr. Grey pacing back and forth. Before Jason has time to open the rear door, an ashen faced Christian Grey jumps into the car. Jason had not seen his boss so upset since Christian Grey's unorthodox 'courtship' of Anastasia Steele.

Christian Grey sits in the backseat of the SUV not able to speak to even say hello to his body guard. Over the years the two men have developed a bondship and Christian views Jason the closest thing to a friend he has allowed himself to have.

"_Breathe_." Christian tells himself. "Everything _will be okay. Why did this have to happen, today of all days_?" Christian met the love of his life ten years ago today when she filled in for her best friend Kate Kavanaugh to interview him for an article for the WSU newspaper. Kate was the editor and had been trying to set up an interview for quite some time before he had finally relented as a courtesy to her father who was a business associate. Kate was ill but could not forgo the interview and cajoled her roommate Ana to go in her place. Christian was mesmerized by Ana from the second she fell through his office door. But it took him awhile to accept that he could love someone and be loved in return. His life changed forever that day as he became alive for the first time in his 27 years of life. Although life with the lovely Ana has softened his need for complete control on everything around him, when it comes to Ana he is still very protective. But he enjoys and looks forward to her challenging him when he starts to go overboard.

Christian is planning on surprising Ana later this afternoon. He has setup a meeting under a fictitious name with her at her office. The meeting is set for the end of the day and he planned to whisk her away for some private celebration time. He had wanted to schedule the 'meeting' at the same time of day that Kate's interview had been scheduled for 10 years ago, but the time had already been assigned for a newspaper interview. Christian's first thought was demand that that meeting be rescheduled, but the rest of Ana's day had already been booked and he knew that the interview was important to her. Shades of déjà vu: Ana was being interviewed by the editor of the student newspaper at WSU. She was being given an award in honour of her donations to the university, her alma mater. Just as Christian had been ten years earlier, Ana has been invited to address the graduates and conferring the diplomas.

In his usual need for control and protection of Ana, a security check had been done on the student, Jane Smith, who would be doing the interview. But the person who had just shown up for the interview identified himself to Security as James Conner. As part of Christian's protection of Ana, when security at Grey Publishing checks in anyone, an email notification is sent to Christian. When the message popped up showing the name of James Conner rather than Jane Smith, Christian panicked. Ana was about to have a meeting with someone who has not had a back ground check run. Hence this quick drive to Ana.

Christian's phone beeps and he looks down at the phone. Security has sent him a quickly prepared background check on one James Conner. Christian breathes a sigh of relief. Although Ana Grey is CEO of Grey Publishing, Security there knows they would have to ultimately answer to Christian Grey if something happened to his cherished wife. The background check is not as detailed as the one that had been prepared on Jane Smith, but Christian tells himself that Security has done the best that can be done on such short notice. Another feeling of déjà vu: James Conner is substituting for his roommate Jane Smith, who was too ill to attend today's interview.

But this just reinforces Christian's need to get to Ana. Ten years ago he fell in love with Ana when she filled in for her roommate and interviewed him. He does not want to tempt fate than Ana may be attracted to James Conner. He had thought it would be safe when a female would be doing the interview as Ana as never shown any interest in the same sex. Christian smirked. Many men may think it would be great to have two women at the same time or watch two women having sex. But even before Ana, multiple partners never appealed to Christian. Even with his fifty shades of grey fuckness, he only desired one woman at a time. And since Ana he definitely doesn't share his toys with anyone.

From the driver's seat, Jason Taylor looks in the rearview mirror. He is relieved to see that some of the color is coming back into Christian's face and he doesn't seem to be clenching his fists quick so tight.

"Everything okay, Boss?" Jason asks Christian.

"I sure as fuck hope so. " Christian replies. "Heads will roll if something happens to Ana."

"Luke called to say that he frisked Mr. Conner before he left Security and would be escorting him upstairs to Mrs. Grey's office. With Mrs. Grey's permission, he will stay in the office during the interview. Otherwise he will be directly outside the office door but prepared to enter if he feels the need."

"Thank you Jason. You and Luke have been through a lot with me and Ana during the past ten years. I know Luke understands the need to protect Ana from strangers."

Christian is now able to sit back in the seat a lot less stressed than when he got into the vehicle. He is not able to completely relax though, as he knows he will need to deal with 'Hurricane Ana' when she realizes that he has come rushing across town with Taylor to 'rescue' her. He hopes that he will be able to get her to see it from his perspective – especially given the significance of this date.

Christian's palms starts twitching as it occurred to him that Ana may have orchestrated this whole scenario just to get her Fifty relied up. No he thought, even to tantalize and tease him, Ana is not that cruel to put him through this stress. Ana may tease him about his response to situations after the fact, when he knows she is safe, but she would not set out to create a situation like this.

Christian thinks to himself that she certainly likes to twist his tail to spur on the kinky fuckery they both so much enjoy. But she has always tried to understand the reasons why he was so fucked up when they met and tries to avoid initiating the bad memories. With her love and affection, Christian has been able to open up to her and exorcize most the demons from his troubled childhood. She would not intentionally do something to stir up the nightmares of my crack whore mother and her abusive pimp.

But the thought is always in the back of his mind that he is not worthy of Ana and she will eventually decide she has had enough of his fifty shades of fucked-upness and leave him. Especially if greener pastures presented themselves in the form of a 21 year old university stud named James Conner. Ana is still a beautiful, sexy woman and all male eyes follow her when she was in sight – until they encounter the glare of Christian Grey, CEO.

In an attempt to erase the bad memories that are at the front of his mind, Christian tells himself to think of all the good things that have happened to him during the ten years since his ray of light, known as Anastasia, came into his life.

A smile starts to form on his face as Christian thinks back. Yes, his need to control everything and everyone in his life was responsible for their quick marriage just a few weeks after the met. After taking her virginity, Christian realized that he shouldn't entice her into his BDSM lifestyle as his submissive and he tried to stay away but found he couldn't. And when Ana did leave him when he showed her how extreme the punishment could be, he realized that he needed to change as his need to be with Ana was much more important than his need to punish any brown haired woman that happened to be his submissive. Fortunately their separation only lasted a few days. Christian is sure all of his staff, as well as his family, were very relieved when he and Ana got back together.

His need for control has been responsible for much of the conflict between him and Ana over the years – but she has always stood by him and he has not fucked it up so bad that she had to leave him again. And of course the make-up sex is mind blowing! She continues to reinforce to him the need to discuss things with her. Once she hears his reasons, she has a better understanding and is willing to accept, albeit sometimes reluctantly, his need for all of the security around my family. Granted the life threatening situations with his former submissive Leila, Jack Hyde and Elena Lincoln showed Ana that security is a necessary fact of life for the Greys.

Married life with Ana the past ten years has been fantastic. Prior to the birth of their eldest child, Teddy, they moved into a massive home renovated by his brother Elliott. Although there were complications with Teddy's birth, Ana survived and was most insistent that Teddy not be an only child. Christian smirks to himself when he thinks to himself that with five siblings, Teddy is certainly not an only child. And they have certainly done their best to fill the large home. Elliott's wife Kate, and Ana's best friend, has frequently stated that Christian just needs to look at Ana and she gets pregnant. He had been petrified of the thought of being a father but with Ana by his side, he gradually conquered that fear and became the greatest Dad of all time – if he says so himself. And he has the t-shirt to proof it too – a Father's Day gift from his brood of kids last year.

Christian grins to himself with the thought that, although that house is definitely a home full of laughter with their large family, and even larger extended family, he and Ana still continue making use of their treasured playroom at the Escala penthouse. After moving into the house, the penthouse was kept on the pretext of keeping business entertaining separate from the family home. Christian feels himself getting hard at the thought that, even after ten years, he and Ana still have date nights in the playroom at least once a week. That's not to say that they limit all of their kinky fuckery to just the Escala playroom. They do enjoy a lot of that in their bedroom at their family home, in addition to a lot of vanilla sex, but have always been concerned that they curious children might discover things in Mommy and Daddy's room not intended for young eyes.

As the SUV pulls up in front of the office of Grey Publishing – Seattle, Christian jumps out of the vehicle before Taylor had come to a complete stop. "_So much for his need for safety_." Jason thinks to himself. Christian throws open the exterior door of the building with Taylor on his heels. Christian storms past the Reception Desk to the elevator which is being held open by one of the building's Security guard. Taylor catches up and jumps into the elevator just as the doors are closing. Christian glares at the guard but tries to hold his temper in check by counting backwards from 100.


	2. Chapter 2

Office of the CEO, Grey Publishing – Seattle

Anastasia Grey looks at her computer when she hears a ping. "Oh oh!" she says when she reads the message that has popped up on the screen. It is a message from Security that a James Conner instead of Jane Smith has arrived to interview her for the student newspaper at her Alma Mater WSU. She knows that her husband, Mr. Control Freak Christian Grey, gets the same message – probably before it appears on her screen. Given the circumstances of their first meeting, he will blow everything out of proportion. She sighs. Although Christian Grey became a self-made billionaire in his early 20's and continues to do exceedingly well with mergers and acquisitions around the world, he still has difficulty comprehending that people could love him unconditionally and he does not need to control every faucet of people's lives.

As Ana gets up from her desk, she reaches out to touch the framed picture on her desk. It was the latest family portrait of her, Christian and their six children. An identical picture sits on Christian's office desk. Every year on their wedding anniversary, her dear friend Jose has taken a new family portrait. Christian is still not fond of Jose and has to restrain himself from getting into a pissing contest but his love for his family supersedes his concerns. "_Each year I find Christian is more comfortable than the last – probably because Christian's alpha maleness rules as each year I am either pregnant or there is a new addition to the family." _Ana tells herself. The fact that Jose seems to be happily married himself with his own brood of kids does not seem to convince Christian that Jose stills wants in her pants.

Ana goes through her open office door to see her PA Hannah Sawyer. Ana's bodyguard, Luke Sawyer, married her PA eight years ago.

"Hannah, batten down the hatches as I'm sure 'Hurricane Christian' is on his way!" Ana says to Hannah.

"What's happened, Ana?" Hannah asks.

Before Ana could start to explain, Luke Sawyer appears in the doorway accompanied by a very good looking young man who appears very nervous and anxious. Given what the poor man probably went through downstairs at Security, Ana is not surprised.

Ana remembers her nervousness ten years ago when she substituted for her roommate Kate Kavanaugh when Kate was scheduled to interview Christian Grey. Ana wants to put Mr. Conner at ease.

"Mr. Conner?" Anna asks and extends her hand to him. "I'm Ana Grey."

"Yes." he squeaks. But he shakes Ana's hand with a firm hand. He looks at her and says "Forgive me Mrs. Grey, you remind me of someone but I'm sure we have never met before." Ana looks at him. As he is several inches over six feet, she has to raise her head to look him in his eyes. His green eyes are framed by his curly black hair which is need of a trim.

Turning to Hannah, Ana says "This is my Personal Assistant Hannah Sawyer. " Pointing to Luke, Ana says "I believe you have already met Hannah's husband Luke?" Looking apprehensively at Luke, James nods agreement.

James says "I'm sorry, my roommate Jane Smith has come down with the flu and was unable to come for the interview. She didn't want to reschedule as the deadline for the newspaper is in a couple of days, so she asked me to do the interview."

"I understand." Ana said. "I'm sorry that your roommate is ill. Hopefully she'll have a quick recovery before her exams start. Come, let's go into my office."

Luke starts to follow Ana and James into Ana's office. Ana stops and says "Luke, I'm fine. I don't need you in the office. Please stay out here and visit with your dear wife. I believe she may need some protection from 'Hurricane Christian' whom I'm sure will soon be here."

Luke sighs "Yeah, I know." Just then his phone vibrates and he answers it. "Okay thanks Jason. Everything is fine here." After Luke disconnects the phone, he says "Five minutes." Ana understands that the message means that Jason Taylor is driving Christian and their ETA to Grey Publishing is five minutes. Luke says "I'll just be right outside the door."

Ana shuts the door behind Luke and heads to her desk and sits down. She motions to the chair on the other side of her desk and says "Please, have a seat James."

As James heads to the chair, he bumps into the coffee table and stumbles. Ana suppresses a chuckle and thinks to herself that it was a good thing that Christian was not there to see that. James' hands are still shaking as he pulls out a notepad from his messenger bag. He sits the bag onto the floor and the rest of the contents fall out onto the floor.

"Oh sorry, Mrs. Grey." James says as he squats down to pick up the items and places them back in his bag. He pulls an iPad out of his bag and sets it on Ana's desk. "Is it okay if I record this interview – for Jane?" he asks.

"Please call me Ana. And I have no objection to the recording." Ana says and smiles at James. James's face starts to flush and he stammers "Okay."

James starts the interview. "Mrs. Grey, oh sorry, Ana, what was your first thought when WSU invited you to be the guest speaker at this year's graduation ceremony?

Ana thinks to herself "_Geez, no wonder Christian was so abrupt when answering Kate's questions during our interview ten years ago_." But since she was much better natured than Christian was in his pre-Ana days, she refrained from giving comparable sarcastic answers.

"I was very honoured and flattered but thought that there must be many more people than me who would qualify. I suspect it has a lot to do with the fact that I have established full tuition scholarships for five English Literature students." Ana answered.

"Have you established these awards because you received, or required, financial assistance while you attended WSU?" James asked.

"I did have to maintain a part-time job all through school to help with my finances. Life would have been easier if I hadn't had to work during my college years." Ana replied. "Is Clayton's Hardware still open?"

James smiles and answers "Yes. I work there myself." Ana had just taken a sip of water and started coughing when it went down the wrong way.

James waits for her to catch her breath before continuing with the questions. Ana thinks, oh this is so déjà vu – he has not done any preparation himself and is just reading the questions given to him by his roommate.

Ana really wants Christian to meet James Conner. There is a loud bang as the outer door to Hannah's office is flung open. Ana says to herself "_Oh 'Hurricane Christian' has arrived."_ Her heart starts beating faster and her body starts reacting in its usual manner whenever Christian is near.

Ana hears Christian's CEO voice "Sawyer! Why the fuck are you out here flirting with your wife instead of doing your job?" and Sawyer's response "Mrs. Grey banished me from the office."

"Excuse me, James. I have to deal with a situation. I'll be back in a few minutes." Ana stands up and heads to the door. She stops in front of the closed door, takes a deep breath and then flings the door open.

"CHRISTIAN TREVELYAN GREY!" Ana says in her most forceful CEO voice. "What are you doing here terrorizing MY staff?"

"Oh Ana! You're safe!" Christian says and pulls her into his arms gathering her close to his chest – the same chest that even she had not been able to touch at one time. Ana can feel him trembling and her anger quickly leaves her – as she knew would happen as soon as she was near her beloved Fifty Shades. She tries to hold firm and pulls her face from his chest enough to look up at Christian. She puts her hands on each side of his face and deeply kisses him. As she pulls her lips away, she says "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?" She couldn't stop the sparkle in her deep blue eyes nor the smirk on her face.

Christian starts to stammer "Umm..er.. I was notified that someone not on the approved list showed for the student newspaper interview." Ana did her best to resume her best CEO glare. Seeing that, Christian lowered his eyes, pouted and said "And you know what that can lead to."

Ana rolls her eyes and giggles. "Only if one loses control, Mr. Grey." Ana informs him and then pulls Christian's mouth back down to hers for another deep kiss. Christian gathers her even closer as their tongues start a dual. Christian's hands start roaming over the back of Ana's satin blouse and then down lower to run them over her ass. Ana manages to hear both Taylor and Sawyer coughing as well as Hannah's laughter and manages to pull herself out of Christian's arms and tries to catch her breath.

"Mr. Grey! We are in a place of business. I don't know how you operate in _your_ place of business, but we run a professional operation here at Grey Publishing." Ana says in her best CEO voice.

Christian runs his hands through his hair and turns to the others in the room to say "I guess I'm in deep shit now!" Hannah, Sawyer and Taylor all mirror the same smile they see on Christian Grey's face. Ana giggles. Christian gives Ana a quick kiss and whispers "I'm glad I can still make you giggle after all these years."

Christian starts to walk towards Ana's office. Ana steps in front of him to block him from entering the office. "Just where do you think _you're_ going Mr. Grey? _I'm_ in the middle of an interview. Have a seat and if you don't harass dear Hannah, I may invite you in to meet Mr. Conner after we complete the interview. And don't forget, if you try to harass Hannah, you will have to answer to Luke as well as me."

Ana walks back to her office, but in the doorway turns and, with a gleam in her eye, looks back at the groups standing in astonishment. "Hannah, I seem to be running late due to all these interruptions and it looks like I'll have to cancel my next meeting. Please contact Christopher Black to reschedule."

Ana turns and proceeds into her office, closing the door behind her. As she leans against the door she thinks _"Oh I'll be paying for that later."_ Her body, as usual, quickly reacts as the various forms of punisment cross through her mind. She smiles and her blue eyes twinkle at the thought of what was still to come this evening.

In the outer office Christian is still standing in place with his mouth agape at his wife's actions. He runs both hands through his copper hair. Both palms are twitching in anticipation of what they will be doing when he gets his wife alone. He turns and sheepishly looks at the others in the room. He says "Well. I guess I've been put into my place." With a big smile on his face he says to himself "_Damn I love that woman."_

Christian walks over to a chair and repositions it so that it directly faces the door to Ana's office and sits down. Sawyer has returned to his position by the door and Taylor has positioned himself by the hallway door. Christian looks at Taylor and says "Okay Jason, you can wipe the smirk off your face. I acknowledge that I've made an ass of myself." He looks at the others in the room and apologizes to all three. "Today is a special day and I was afraid my plans would be ruined when some young stud showed up unannounced for an interview with Ana."

Jason tries to wipe the smirk off his face, but his eyes are still twinkling at the sight of Mr. Christian Grey, CEO still so shook up over the thought that his wife would be attracted to a 21 year old college student. But he had a front row seat ten years when Christian Grey fell for the 21 year old college student named Anastasia Rose Steele. Life has certainly been interesting since then.

"Mr. Grey, I believe you exited the car so quickly you left behind the gifts. Would you like me to retrieve them for you?" Jason asks.

"Yes, please Jason. I don't want to leave here right now." Christian replies. The fact that Christian called Jason Taylor by his first name is an indication how out of sorts he still is.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER

Ana walks back to her desk and sits down again. "Sorry about that James. Now where were we?"

"You only graduated college ten years ago, but you are a CEO of a very successful publishing company. What do you contribute to your success, besides having the backing of your husband and GEH?" James reads from his notepad.

Ana snaps "Yes, I have come far in ten years. I know I have been accused of being a Gold Digger, but I'm not. I fell in love with Christian Grey for himself, not his money. In fact his wealth has caused a lot of problems for us over the years. I got my original job at SIP without any influence from Christian Grey. We were just starting to date, but I refused to tell him which Seattle publishing houses were interviewing me. At the same time, GEH had decided to expand into publishing and purchased SIP after I had been offered and accepted a position with that publishing company. Due to circumstances I won't go into I was promoted on a temporary basis and then given the position on a permanent basis after I had provenmyself. When we married, Christian signed Grey Publishing over to me as a wedding gift. But since then this company has not received any financial assistance from GEH or Christian Grey himself. The company has grown by my decision to expand the books we published and from those profits, bought small publishing companies elsewhere in the United States."

James stammered "I sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."

Calming down, Ana smiled and responded "I know, you are just reading the questions Jane gave you. What else is on your list?"

James looks down at his note pad and reads "You are a woman who has it all. At the same time that you have expanded Grey Publishing Incorporated, you have also given birth to six children and maintained a social life with your husband Christian Grey, a busy CEO himself. How do you manage to do it?"

At the mention of her beloved husband and children, Ana smiles and gazes fondly at the family portrait on her desk. Ana replies "Well, I could say it is easy with a very loving husband and great kids. But I have to admit that the fact that we have the financial ability to hire a housekeeper to maintain the house and nannies to help with the children. Christian already had a housekeeper and when our first child was born Christian and I did all the child care ourselves – the exception being when we had social commitments and family members or the housekeeper were more than willing to babysit little Teddy. We wanted to continue being very hands parents, but as our family has continued to grow, we had to accept that we needed assistance with the children. As I said, we are able to afford to hire assistants and I applaud people who are able to juggle work, home and children without outside assistance."

"Thank you Mrs. Grey. That seems to be the end of the questions." James said.

"Please call me Ana." Ana reminds him. "If you don't mind, I have some questions for you."

James turns red and stammers "Oh. I guess so."

"What is your major? I assume it is not journalism." Ana asks.

"Business."

"I thought so." Ana said. "Do you have a job yet?"

"No. I do have some interviews scheduled in a few weeks. After I finish exams." James replied.

"I hope one of them is GEH. I know they hire WSU graduates as interns." Ana stated.

"Yes, that is one of my interviews. I have to admit that GEH is my first choice." James said.

"Would you like to have your interview now?" Ana asked. "Christian Grey is out in the waiting room."

James face turned pale at the thought of being interviewed by the CEO himself. His scheduled interview would be with people in Human Resources, not the CEO of the entire company. He slowly nods.

"I'll be right back." Ana says as she stands up and heads to the door. When she opens the door, she sees her beloved husband sitting in a chair directly across from the door with his eyes focused on the door she had just opened. His face lights up when he sees her, stands up and quickly crosses the room to take her his arms.

As his lips are about to touch hers, Christian whispers "Ana, I've missed you." She starts to point out to him that it has only been a few minutes since they last saw one another, but is not able to respond as he plunders her mouth. When they both come up for air, Ana reaches up to comb her hands through her husband's copper hair.

"Christian, please come into my office with me. I would like you to meet James Conner. He is graduating in Business from WSU next month and has an interview scheduled with GEH, but I thought maybe you could interview him now."

"Ana. I don't do the interviews for interns. But for you, anything. I always told you I would give you the world – if you would just let me." Christian says as his finger rubs over Ana's swollen lips. Then his eyes turn stormy as he remembers why he rushed over to Grey Publishing. "You're not trying to get him a job because you are attracted to him, are you?" he questions in a strangled voice.

"No Christian. How could you really think that? I still only have eyes for you. He just seems like a very earnest young man and I thought you could do this as an apology for letting your control freakness take over."

Ana takes her husband by the hand and they walk into her office. She introduces the two men to each other. She smirks and shakes her head when she realizes that Christian automatically heads to her chair behind the desk. She thinks "_Yes, my Fifty is back in CEO mode."_ "Oh Christian, I'll just take a seat over here on the couch while you use my desk and chair for the interview." Christian looks up at her in surprise and then smiles when he realizes what he had just done. Ana rolls her eyes as she sits down on the couch.

Christian seats down behind the desk and asks James to give him a short bio about himself. James told Christian that he was born and raised in Chicago. His parents Jim Conner and Edna Reynolds still live in Chicago. His father is a surgeon and his mother was a lawyer but now runs a shelter for abused women and children. Although his parents have helped him financially during his college years, he has worked part-time at Clayton's Hardware to supplement expense. Christian's grey eyes narrow and looks over at Ana who is smirking, rolling her eyes and biting her lip to keep from laughing. Christian thinks to himself "_Oh yea…things will definitely be interesting later."_

Christian continues asking James questions about his college courses and what he envisions himself doing in the future. After thirty minutes, Christian stands up and extends his hand to James. James hesitantly takes it and the two men shake hands. Christian escorts him out of the office into the waiting room, quickly followed by Ana.

Ana steps forward and as she shakes hands with James says "It was nice meeting you James. I trust I will see you in a few weeks at graduation?"

James responds "Yes." He turns to leave and then stops and turns around. "Mrs. Grey? I've remembered who you remind me of – my mother." He turns and heads out the door.

Ana's jaw drops and then glares at her husband as he is laughing so hard, tears are coming down his face. "Oh, you think that is funny Mister Control Freak? I'm only 32 – there's no way I could be mistaken for the mother of a 21 year old."

Christian pulls Ana into his arms. As his lips are about to touch hers, he whispers "Maybe not his mother. But I can certainly see you as a MILF – you are to me. Just promise you'll never become a cougar. And you are even more gorgeous now than you were ten years ago." Before she can respond, Christian's mouth takes hers hostage.

Christian and Ana finally break apart to catch their breath. When they do, they realize that the others have left the room. Christian laughs and grabs Ana's face to bring her lips to his for another quick kiss.

Ana goes to the hallway door and opens it to find Luke and Hannah both standing at the door with big grins on their face. Ana says "It's safe to come back in folks. Hannah, were you able to get hold of Mr. Black to reschedule our meeting?"

Hannah responds "Er no Ana. His secretary says that he had had to leave his office and she was unaware of his whereabouts. She promised that she would try to get in touch with him, but she has not yet called back to reschedule."

Ana says "Okay then I guess. His loss then if he doesn't want to reschedule. I was so looking forward to meeting with him. There are so many things I wanted to discuss with him and thought we could extend our 'meeting' over dinner." As she is saying this she turns to Christian and asks him "Christian, darling, you wouldn't have minded if I'd had dinner with Mr. Black, would you? We didn't have anything special planned did we?"

Christian stiffens and with clenched teeth said "Well,…"

Ana says "What's wrong? Cat have your tongue Mr. Christopher Black?" She walks back to Christian and puts her arms around him. With her lips against his, she says "Yes, Darling, I know what today is." Christian tightens his grip on her and bends her backwards in a passionate kiss.

Several minutes later, Christian brings Ana back upright but keeps a tight grip on her. "When did you know I was Christopher Black?" he asks Ana.

"Oh come on, Christian. I'm not stupid. I was planning on surprising you today at your office but when

I asked Hannah to book me off late afternoon, she reported that a Christopher Black was most insistent on a meeting at the end of today. It was too obvious: Christopher = Christian and Black is just a very dark shade of grey."

Christian rubs his nose to Ana's nose and smiles his megawatt panty melting smile – grey eyes looking straight into blue eyes. "I love you Ana. My life completely changed ten years ago when you stumbled into my office, then my life and heart. I don't think I can live without you and I certainly don't want to try." Ana raises her left hand to brush Christian's cheek.

Hearing a cough from the doorway, Christian turns and sees Taylor standing at the door, his arms overloaded with the gifts he had retrieved from the car.

Christian turns back to Ana and says "At one time I told you that I was not a heart and flowers guy, but soon learned that I did want heart and flowers with you. You finally agreed to marry me when I showed you that in my parents' boathouse. For today's anniversary, I wanted to show you once again."

He walks over to Taylor and takes the dozen red roses from Taylor. He returns to stand in front of Ana and goes down on one knee, holding the bouquet out to Ana. "Ana, please accept these flowers as a sign of my everlasting love." With tears falling down her face, Ana takes the flowers from her husband and takes a deep smell of their aroma. Christian stands up again and goes back to Taylor and takes the balloons from him before returning to stand in front of Ana.

Christian pulls one balloon out of the bunch and hands it to Ana. "I remember you kept the balloon of Charlie Tango as a memento even after you had left me the first time. Here is a replacement. I hope you treasure it as much as I treasure you." Trying to not crush the roses, Ana leans forward to give her husband a quick kiss. "Of course I will. I treasure you too."

Christian pulls a heart shaped balloon from the bunch and hands it to Ana. "This symbolizes my heart which is in your hand." He is once again rewarded with a kiss. "You have my heart too, Christian" Ana whispers.

Christian is still holding the other balloons. "Your hands appear to be full Mrs. Grey. Let me show you these other balloons – they are personalized to represent the important events in our lives. Our wedding day, Teddy, Phoebe, twins Carrick and Christiana and the twin boys Jason and Luke." He hands the balloons to Ana. "You have all the important things in my life in your hands." Tears continue to run down Ana's face.

"Oh Christian, I love you so much." Ana says. She releases the balloon knowing that they are safe in the office and sets the bouquet of roses on Hannah desk. She turns back to Christian and wraps her arms around him and raises her lips to his. Christian quickly deepens the kiss. When they break apart, they are both gasping for air.

"Ana…back to your earlier question about dinner. Yes, of course we have special plans." He quickly picks her up and throws her over his shoulder in a fireman's hold and heads to the door. "Let's go home and make another baby!"

Ana gasps and yells "Christian, put me down!" He swats her ass and with an evil grin says "Laters baby. I take it you have no objections to my suggested plans?" Ana calls out "Hannah, please get my bag and purse from my office please."

Taylor had stepped out into the hallway to make space for them through the door. As Christian and Ana pass him, Christian says "Taylor, please retrieve the flowers and balloons. I do believe they did the trick, but I'm sure Ana would like them at home."

Christian still doesn't put Ana back on her feet when they get into the elevator. He presses the open door button until Jason and Luke join them – one carrying the flowers and balloons and the other Ana's purse and bag. As the elevator door closes, Ana demands "Christian, put me down! We can't go through the lobby like this. It is not professional. It's a workplace and I'm the CEO of this company." Christian swats her ass again and with an even more evil grin than before says "If you don't be quiet and stopped squirming, my twitching hand will do someone even more unprofessional."

Before Ana could respond, the elevator door opens and Jason and Luke step out first. Despite what is in their hands, they are still security and their eyes scan the area for any problems. Jason signals to Christian that there is no problem. Christian steps out of the elevator with a very red faced Ana still flung over his shoulder, and proceeds to the front door of the building. He hears several people gasp at the sight of their boss being carried out of the building. But the few gasps are quickly followed by people clapping and at least one person saying "Way to go Mr. Grey!" as well as several "Have fun Mrs. Grey!" and "Oh, I wish my husband was that romantic."

The SUV is still parked at the front of the building. Luke opens the rear door and Christian sets Ana down on the seat before going around and getting in on the other side. Before shutting Ana's door, Luke hands her the purse and bag he was carrying for her. "Thank you Luke." Ana says. He nods. Jason hands Ana the flowers and balloons. "Thank you Jason." Ana says. With a smile on his face and twinkle in his eyes, Jason responds "No thank _you_ Mrs. Grey." He shuts the door and gets in the driver's seat.

Before starting the engine, Jason asks "Where to Mr. Grey?" Christian reaches over and takes Ana's hand in his, rubbing her knuckles. He brings her hand up to his lips to kiss her knuckles and raises his hand to rub her cheek. "Where to Mrs. Grey? What special plans did you have for dinner?"

Ana blushes when she looks longingly into her husband's eyes and says "Escala."

"My thoughts exactly." Christian says. "Escala, please Taylor." As usual, Ana is sitting in the middle seat to be as close to Christian as seat belts allow. Christian puts his arm around her and holds her close.


	4. Chapter 4

As Ana snuggles against her husband she reflects back over the past ten years. How naïve she was the day she reluctantly allowed her college roommate, sick with the flu, to talk her into driving to Seattle to interview the illusive billionaire, Christian Grey. As editor of the WSU student newspaper, Kate had worked months trying to get an interview with the publicity shy man. Although he did not seek publicity, he was a generous benefactor and WSU was honoring him at graduation for his donation to the experimental farming project. He would be addressing the graduation classes and handing out their diplomas. It was quite a coup for Kate to get the interview and she could not risk trying to reschedule.

Ana smiles as she remembers how nervous she was and intimidated by all the well groomed, gorgeous looking blonde women she saw working at Grey Enterprises when she arrived. When she was granted access to Mr. Grey's office, she stumbled as she entered the room. In hindsight, she literally fell in love with Christian Grey at that point. She just was not aware of it at the time – the man intimidated her, but also mesmerized her. As it turned out, Christian Grey was just as mesmerized by her, little nobody Anastasia Rose Steele. He was aware of that from the first second they met, although at the time he had other plans for her – as his weekend submissive in his playroom. It did not take him long to realize he also wanted 'more' with Ana and proceeded to convince her that they were meant for one another.

It was a world wind romance and Christian and Ana married less than three months after their first meeting. Even close family and friends first assumption was that Ana was pregnant. She wasn't, but she did become pregnant shortly after their marriage. This lead to one of their major fights as Christian was afraid of becoming a father, as well as he was not yet prepared to share Ana with anyone – even his own child. With Ana's unfaltering love and devotion, Christian was able to control his fear and looked forward to the birth of Blip - his first born. Once Theodore Raymond was born, Christian couldn't envision life without Ana and Teddy. Christian did not want to use the name Christian Junior, but everyone (including Christian) agree that Teddy is definitely a mini-Christian with his copper hair, although he has Ana's blue eyes. And even at the age of nine, shows many of Christian's trait from running his hands through his hair when upset to getting upset when things don't go his way. Ana always rolls her eyes whenever Christian proudly brags to Elliott and Ethan that Teddy will be a chick magnet when he is older.

There were complications with Teddy's birth and Christian almost lost his beloved Ana when she continued to insist on natural childbirth. It was almost too late when Christian overrode her and authorized the doctor to do a Caesarian. Life with Teddy Bear and Ana was fantastic, and Christian agreed with Ana that he did not want Teddy to be an only child. But Christian was petrified of Ana risking her life. When Ana was pregnant with Peanut, Christian was able to get Ana to agree to a Caesarian birth and Phoebe Grace was born seven years ago. Ana wanted to use 'Ella' as one of the names, but backed down when Christian made it clear it was a hard limit for him. Phoebe is all Christian with copper hair, grey eyes, determination and strong will. Ana always rolls her eyes at Christian's reaction when Kate and Mia tease him that Phoebe will be a heart breaker when she is older. Ana usually has to step in to put her foot down when Christian says he plans on increasing Phoebe's security on her 13th birthday.

Ana didn't encounter any complications during her pregnancy with Phoebe or during the birth and Christian found he thoroughly enjoyed fatherhood. After all, each child provided someone new to shower with gifts and even Ana was willing to spend money on the children. Ana had no problem convincing Christian that a third child would fit into their family. Much to their surprise, and delight, the sonogram revealed twins which were immediately referred to as Thing1 and Thing2. When the fraternal twins were born five years ago, they were named Carrick Trevelyan and Christiana Rose. Christian still refused to entertain Christian or Ella as names, but Ana was able to negotiate a feminine version of Christian for their new daughter. Ana loved to tease Christian that her genes were finally starting to try to get control as both Carrick and Christiana, although they had their father's copper hair, they had their mother's blue eyes and personality.

With four children in less than five years, home life was certainly busy for the Greys. And with the duties necessary in their professional lives as CEOs, Ana finally agreed with Christian that a live-in nanny was necessary. Both Christian and Ana were most insistent that they continued to be a very active part of their children's lives.

When Carrick and Christiana turned one, Kate started questioning when Ana would conceive once again as she gave birth every other year. Ana was never sure if it was just teasing or a bit of jealousy on Kate's part. Kate and Elliott's daughter Ava was born just a few months before Phoebe and was an only child until Elliott Trevelyan was born just last year.

With their busy lives, Christian and Ana 'skipped' a year. They were overjoyed when the sonogram once again revealed twins which were quickly nicknamed Ying and Yang. When the identical male twins were born two years ago, Christian was delighted when Ana suggested the names of Jason Taylor and Luke Sawyer in honor of their long-time personal body guards. Christian was sure there were tears in the adult Jason and Luke eyes when Christian introduced them to the latest members of the Grey family. Kate and Mia are always quick to point out to Christian that he must be losing his battle with Ana's genes as Jason and Luke have brown hair and blue eyes like their mother. Christian always counters back, with a smirk, that his twin sons take after him in the important features.

As she remembers the births of her six children, Ana raises her hand to caress Christian's chest over his heart. She beams when Christian places one of his hands over hers to hold it tight against his heart. It has been a long time since he could not tolerate anyone, even her, to touch his chest. He was gradually allowing Ana to touch him when the children started arriving and he found, as a father, the greatest thing was to lay bare chested with his infant child, also bare chested, on his chest. With holding her hand to his chest, Ana knows that he was also reflecting back on how much their family has changed during the past ten years.

Christian rubs Ana's cheek and bends down to kiss her. Ana parts her mouth and Christian's tongue explores her mouth. At the same time, Ana slowly moves her hand down Christian's chest to his thigh before rubbing his quickly hardening cock through his pants. Christian moves his hand to Ana's knee and runs it up her thigh under her skirt. Christian's lips start to run kisses from Ana's mouth to her ear.

Christian is vaguely aware that the SUV had stopped moving. At the sound of vehicle doors closely loudly, Christian whispers to Ana "I believe Jason and Luke are trying to let us know that we're here." Christian assists Ana out of the vehicle and reaches back in to retrieve the flowers and balloons. He gives the flowers to Ana to carry while he carries the balloons in one hand and the other hand wrapped around Ana's waist. While waiting for the elevator, Christian kisses Ana's hair. "I love you" he says. "I love you" she responds.

While riding in the elevator, Christian's hand moves from Ana's waist to fondle her ass. "Behave Mr. Grey" Ana says. "Oh I haven't started Mrs. Grey" Christian responds. His hand continues over Ana's ass and down her right leg to the hem of her skirt before starting back up under her skirt.

Christian chuckles when he hears Ana start to moan. "Something wrong, Mrs. Grey?"

"Oh no, nothing is wrong, Mr Grey. Just don't stop." Ana responds. She moves from Christian's side to stand in front of him with her back to him and brushes her ass against his cock. "Hmmmm. That feels good." Ana says.

Christian smiles and moves his hand, still under Ana's skirt, around to her front. He moves his hand into her panties. "Hmmm. Someone is wet. Should I make you come before the elevator reaches the penthouse?" When Ana grinds her ass into his cock, Christian says "I guess that's a yes!"

He inserts one finger into her pussy and rubs her clitoris. He smiles as he hears Ana's short breaths. He bends his head down to blow into Ana's right ear and then runs his tongue around her ear and nips at her earlobe. Ana moans continue and his nose tries to push aside the neck of her blouse to expose more skin for his tongue. Christian inserts a second finger into her pussy and twirls both fingers around, continuing to rub her clitoris. Christian is well tuned to Ana's body and knows she is almost over the edge. As he nips at the skin of her neck, Christian thrusts a third finger into Ana's vagina. "Come for me Ana, come" he whispers in her ear. "OOO I love you Christian!" Ana screams as she is overcome with the waves of her orgasm. "My pleasure, Ana." Christian says. He wraps his arm around Ana to support her standing.

The elevator doors open and they step out into the foyer of their penthouse apartment. They both head to the kitchen – Ana to put the roses into a vase and Christian ties the balloons to the backs of the stools at the breakfast bar.

Ana is standing at the sink having just finished putting the roses into a vase when Christian comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her. Ana raises her arms above her head to wrap them around Christian's neck. Christian puts his lips to Ana's neck, running a series of quick kisses and little nips up and down each side of her neck. At the same time, his hands move to cup Ana's breasts. As he goes to rub a nail over her nipples he realizes there is no bra covering the nipples. As the nipples harden, they are pushing out against Ana's sapphire blue satin blouse.

"Oh my, what do we have here, Mrs. Grey?" His fingers start to unbutton her blouse and pulls the blouse out of her skirt and opens the sides. Looking down over Ana's shoulder he sees that her push-up bra did indeed push up her breasts, but left her nipples exposed. His hands cup both breasts and a finger from each hand rubs Ana's nipples.

"Do you like, Mr. Grey?" Ana asks in short breaths. Her arms are still around Christian's neck and she raises her hands to run them through his hair. Christian's hips pin Ana against the counter and he rubs his cock against her ass. "Can't you tell, Mrs. Grey? But I'm glad I didn't know earlier or I wouldn't have been able to control myself."

"Why control yourself now, Sir?" Ana wiggles her ass against Christian's cock.

Christian's fingers pinch and pull Ana's nipples while his lips continue to kiss her neck. Ana feels the waves of another orgasm begin and tightens her grip on Christian's hair. When Christian runs his fingernails over her sensitize nipples, she loses control and gives in to her second orgasm. And she's still dressed!

Christian turns Ana around to face him and rests his forehead on hers. Holding her hands, he steps back and hold Ana at arm's length to get a better view of her lingerie. "Oh I like very much. But you were wearing that all day at the office?" Ana smiles. "Minx. If I'd known earlier, I wouldn't have allowed you to be alone with James Conner."

Christian sits down on one of the breakfast bar stools. "Strip for me Ana." Christian reaches over to a console panel on the wall and music fills the air.

Moving her hips in sync with the music, Ana shrugs her blouse off her shoulders. She slowly raises her left arm to undo the button and repeats with the right before dropping her arms down so the blouse falls to the floor. Ana continues to dance to the music as she reaches behind her to undo the back zipper of her skirt. She locks eyes with Christian as her hands grip the waist of her skirt and slowly pulls it down over her hips and steps out away from the pool of her skirt. Ana breaks eye contact when she turns her back on Christian. She bends from the waist to pick up her skirt. As she is still bent over, with her hair in the air, she wiggles her ass. She smiles when she hears Christian's sharp intake of breath. She stands up and looks over her shoulder. "You like what you see, Sir?"

"Most definitely, _Mrs. _Grey. Continue." Ana turns around and standing in front of Christian, gyrating to the music, she runs her hands across her bare midriff and slips her hands into the sides of her thong before pulling it down her legs. While facing her husband, Ana bends from her waist to give Christian a view of her cleavage. She picks up the thong and tosses it to Christian. He catches it in the air and brings it to his nose and breaths in deeply. "Oh I love your scent Ana. Continue."

Ana runs her hands over her breast exposed above her special push up bra. As she continues rubbing, she runs a finger over nipples which quickly harden. Ana reaches around to unhook her bra to completely free her breasts. She continues running her hands over her breasts and down over her stomach. Once again locking eyes with Christian, she gyrates over to stand in front of her husband dressed only in her thigh high stockings and high heel shoes. She leans forward to put her hands on each side of Christian's face. She pulls his face to her breasts.

With his mouth locked on Ana's left breast, Christian stands up. He places his hands on each side of Ana's waist and lifts her up onto the breakfast bar. Christian's mouth transfers to her right breast and sucks it until it is as hard as the left one. At the same time, his fingers are skimming down each side of Ana's body to the top of her stockings. Christian's mouth starts a trail up Ana's chest to her mouth where his tongue circles her lips. Grey eyes gaze into blue. Christian lifts both of Ana's legs up and over his shoulders and his hands push her torso until she is laying on top of the counter. "I want you, Ana." Christian says.

"Oh, Christian, you can have me." Ana can barely get the words out as Christian's tongue is now circling her clitoris. "Oh God! Yes!" Ana shouts. Christian continues working his tongue on Ana's clit.

"Come for me Ana!" Christian urges his wife.

"CHRISTIAN!" Ana shouts as she reaches another orgasm. Christian continues lapping up Ana's juices until her body stops moving.

"Happy Anniversary Ana." Christian says and kisses his wife. Ana can taste herself on her husband's lips. Christian removes Ana's legs from his shoulders and helps her sit up.

"Happy Anniversary Christian." Ana says breathlessly. She runs her hands through his coppery hair. "You still do it for me. I've had three orgasms, but you haven't had any release yet." She starts to climb down from the breakfast, but Christian puts out a hand to stop her.

Christian then picks her up in his arms. "Oh, don't worry, I plan on getting mine. But first I plan on giving you an orgasm for each year we've been together. Bedroom or playroom?"

"Oh definitely playroom!" Ana says as she wraps her arms around Christian's neck.


	5. Chapter 5

Clayton's Hardware Store, Portland Oregon

The Grey stretch limousine pulls up in front of the Clayton Hardware store. As the size of the family had grown it just wasn't possible to fit everyone comfortably in an SUV. The alternative was to spread the family, nanny and security out among several vehicles but both Christian and Ana wanted to keep the children close at hand. Christian smiles to himself as the thought crosses his mind the benefit of the privacy screen between the passenger area and driver's seat. He was rarely able to make love to Ana in the backseat of the SUV as she was always too much aware of the security detail up front. Not that that ever stopped him from starting foreplay – but with him and Ana, just looking at one another was foreplay. Ana sees her husband smile and knows what he's thinking and it brings a smile to her lips. She strokes his thigh and whispers "Laters baby."

"Mommy, Daddy! Why are we stopping here?" 5 year old Carrick asks. "This place looks boooorring. I want to go to the park." says 7 year old Phoebe.

Ana replies "I worked here during my college years. I haven't been back to visit since I graduated college and moved to Seattle. Since we are in town, I would like to show you all off to Mr. & Mrs. Clayton." In unison, the children replied "Ahhhh….Mooooom!"

Christian tells his children "I have fond memories of this store too. It was here that I started courting your Mother." Ana mumbles under her breath "More like stalking". "Behave, Mrs. Grey. I'm keeping track for later." Christian whispers. Ana smiles sweetly at her husband.

Taylor and Sawyer open the doors of the limo. "Come children, let go in." Ana says. A well-practiced routine goes into operation. Ana and Christian unbuckle the 2 year old twins Jason and Lucas from their car seats, lifting lift them out of the limo before taking them by the hand. As the other children step out of the limo, 9 year old Teddy takes the hand of his brother Carrick and Phoebe does the same with Carrick's twin Christiana.

Sawyer advances to the door of the store and holds it open as the Grey family files into the store with Ana in the lead and Christian in the rear, followed by Taylor and Sawyer.

"OH MY GAWD! Ana Steele! Bill come out here." shrieks Mrs. Clayton. "I read that you were going to be at this year's graduation ceremony and was hoping you would stop by." She rushes over and gives Ana a big hug. Ana has to release her hand hold on Lucas to avoid him being crushed by Mrs. Clayton.

"Oh it's good to see you Mrs. Clayton." Ana says. "And Mr. Clayton." as she sees him come from the back room. "It's been 'Grey' for 10 years now." Ana quickly informs them before Christian has a chance to go all Fifty shades as he does whenever Kate calls Ana by her long-time nickname 'Steele'. Ana pulls Christian to her side to introduce him to her former employers. "Mr. & Mrs. Clayton, this is my husband Christian Grey." Christian shakes hands with the two as their eyes go wide.

Ana turns and waves her arm towards the children standing in a group. And this is our family: Theodore Raymond, Phoebe Grace, twins Carrick Trevelyan and Christiana Rose and another set of twins: Jason Taylor and Lucas Sawyer. Teddy is 9, Phoebe 7, Carrick and Christiana 5 and Jason and Lucas are 2." Ana beams.

"My, you two have been busy haven't you?" Mrs. Clayton says. "They are adorable. You can certainly tell who their parents are. They are all some combination of their parents' hair and eyes."

"I know." beams Ana. "Christian's genes are very dominant in the older children but mine starting winning the battle as time went on." She winks at Christian.

"I'm still counting Mrs. Grey." Christian whispers as he puts an arm around her and leans down to kiss her hair. Ana rolls her eyes.

Toddler Jason starts pulling his father's arms to be released like his twin. "Ana, the kids and I will wonder around the store while you visit with Mr. & Mrs. Clayton."

"Thanks." Ana says as she gives her husband a quick kiss. "Be good for Daddy." she calls to the kids as the entourage starts walking away.

Ana and the Claytons start to catch up from the past 10 years when she hears Christian's loud CEO voice saying "Phoebe! Christiana! What are you doing with those ropes? Put. Them. Down. Now."

"But Daaaaddd. We're just testing them to see which ones would be strong enough to use as a swing on the big oak tree at home. And I'm practicing my knot tying I'm learning in Girl Scouts." Phoebe tries to explain. Christiana quickly dropped the rope she was handling, but Phoebe was still tugging on the rope she had in her hands and starting to tie knots in the end of the rope. Christian takes the ropes from Phoebe's hand and takes her by the hand to get her and her sister Christiana away from the display of rope. "If you want a swing, I'll talk to Uncle Elliott about installing one." an ashen-faced Christian tells his eldest daughter.

As he and his daughters turn away from the vast display of ropes, Christian sees his eldest two sons standing in front of the display of cable ties and masking tape talking to James Conner who was stocking the shelves. Trying to be polite, for Ana's sake, Christian says "Hello Mr. Conner. You must sell a lot of these cable ties since the shelves look pretty bare."

James manages to squeak out "Hello Mr. Grey. Yes, we don't seem to be able to keep some things in stock anymore. Ever since some book came out, all the college girls started shopping here for things like these cable ties, tape and rope."

Christian starts coughing to cover up his laugh. With a twinkle in his eyes, Christian ponders, with tongue in cheek, "I wonder what the book is about. Must be some sort of DIY type book. I'll have to ask Ana about it."

James responds "I really don't know. All I know is that we just can't keep some things in stock here. And on campus, people suddenly seem to be really impressed that I'm working in a hardware store. Some of the girls that have approached me don't strike me as the DIY type. Even my mother has taken a sudden interest in me working at a hardware store and brags to her friends about where I work."

Christian chuckles. "Well, whatever it takes to impress the girls, James. One never knows what it will take to get the girl of your dreams. It can be surprising. I know it was for me when Ana came into my life."

Christian realizes Carrick and Teddy are still looking at the display that James is restocking. He overhears Carrick asking Teddy what they were and Teddy responding "Oh, I think people use them to tie things up."

Christian is having trouble breathing. "Come children. I think we've seen enough. We'll wait for your Mom in the car." Christian glares at Taylor when he sees his long time body guard trying to suppress a smirk. Christian knows that Taylor is well aware of the 'Red Room of Pain' and his past life as a Dominant.

As the family files past Ana, Christian says "I just have to take the children outside. Take your time with your visit." With a twinkle in her eye, Ana asks "Anything wrong?" Christian bends down it give his wife a kiss. As he gives a quick nip on her bottom lip, he whispers "Will explain later. And I'm still counting." Ana smiles serenely at her husband and rolls her eyes. As Christian heads up the procession out the door, Taylor brings up the rear. Sawyer stays in the store. Ana smiles when she sees the smirk on Taylor's face and then chuckles when he gives her a wink.

A few minutes later the bell above the door rings signaling someone entering or leaving the store. "Who's the big shot with the limo? Oh my God! If it isn't Ana Steele as I live and breathe!"

Ana turns to see who has recognized her. She smiles and walks over to the man and gives him a hug. "Paul! It's good to see you. I'm just visiting with your brother and sister-in-law. And it's Grey, not Steele. How have you been? Married? Any children?"

"I'm not doing too bad, all things considered. No children. Married – twice. Divorced – twice. Just can't find anyone that lives up to you, Ana." Paul says.

Ana is starting to feel uncomfortable as Paul hasn't yet released his arms from around her. She steps back forcing him to drop his arms. At the same time she feels another set of arms encircling her from the back. Given the way her body is tingling, she is well aware of whose arms are now wrapped around her. Ana partially turns her body to raise her lips to her husband for a quick kiss, but before she can do introductions, Christian is in full Control Freak mode and takes over. "Hello, I'm Ana's husband, Christian Grey. If I remember correctly, you are Paul Clayton. We met briefly ten years ago when I visited Ana when she was working here." Although Christian extends his left hand, he glares at the other man while keeping his right arm wrapped around Ana. Ana caresses her husband's hand at her waist to try to emphasize to him that he has nothing to worry about Paul as well as trying to ensure that Christian does not start fondling her in front of Paul as a way to mark his territory. "_Oh Fifty. Somethings will just never change." _she says to herself.

Paul acknowledges the signals that Christian puts out. "It's been great seeing you Ana, Christian. Well, I was just passing by, saw the limo and had to stop in to see who was here. Bye." Paul turns and leaves, waving goodbye to his brother and sister-in-law.

Christian leans down to kiss Ana on her neck just below her ear. His arm gives her a squeeze before releasing her. "I better go back and help Taylor and the others with the kids. Take your time with your visit."

"Okay Baby. I shouldn't be much longer." Ana says. She puts her hands on each side of Christian's face to pull his face down to her mouth for a kiss. "I love _you_ Christian and all your fifty shades. Never forget that." As she pulls her hands aware from his face, she runs them down his chest. She gives him a little push and says "Go and rescue Jason from our little terrorists."

Sawyer and Ana leave the store about fifteen minutes later. Ana is carrying a bag which she hands to Sawyer to place in the trunk. As Ana takes her seat in the limousine, she rolls her eyes when Christian raises an eyebrow questioning what she purchased. "Laters Baby." She says. Christian chuckles and with a smirk on his face, he reaches for her hand and brings it to his lips. As he kisses her hand, he whispers "Promises, promises. I'm looking forward to putting them to good use." Ana blushes.

Christian leans closer to Ana and whispers "By the way, Clayton's can't seem to keep in stock with cable ties, tape and rope. James seems to think it is the fault of a certain book that is all the range among college girls and even his mother's friends. I guess you wrote a phenomenal book Mrs. Grey. Congratulations."

Ana blushes fifty shades of red. "Guess it is a good thing that Grey Publishing kept the pseudonym I used when I submitted it to the editors. It could be embarrassing if people thought it was an autobiography."

Christian leans over to kiss his wife. "Isn't it?" he asks before his lips touch hers. A few minutes later, an indignant Ana says "No, the hero is an internet mogul, not a CEO, the heroine is a PhD graduate student and it is set in New York. And they use whips, canes and chains."

Christian smirks. "That's makes all difference. My mistake. You are so cute when you get your feathers riled up like this." Ana giggles as he rolls his eyes. He whispers in her ear "And it makes me so hot for you."


	6. Chapter 6

Heathman Hotel, Portland Washington

"Good morning Mr. Grey" Ana says as she turns around in bed to face her husband. She lifts her hand up to caress her husband's face and then run her fingers through his hair.

"Hmmm…that feels good. Good morning to you, too, Mrs. Grey." Christian says. As he leans towards her to kiss her good morning, his hand cupping her breast through the silk camisole and giving it a squeeze.

"Hmmm…that feels good Sir." Ana says. She emits another moan when Christian's thumbnail rubs her nipple until it hardens. Christian bends down to replace his thumb with his tongue and then his mouth while his hand starts rubbing her other nipple. By the time his mouth relocates to Ana's other breast, she is writhing. She runs her hands through Christian's copper hair and holds his face to her breast. She moves her hands down his neck, shoulders and arms before running her hands under the waistband of his pajama pants. She grabs his ass cheeks, forcing his harden ejection to push against her. "Oh Christian, fuck me!"

Christian runs his hand down Ana's stomach and over her hip to the bottom edge of her tap pants. He moves his hand up the loose leg and inserts a finger into Ana's sex. "Ana, you are always so wet and ready for me."

Christian pulls his pants down to release his cock. He reaches for Ana's tap pants and tugs. Ana raises her ass off the mattress and Christian pulls them off her ass and down her legs before tossing them aside. Christian is kneeling on the bed between Ana's legs. He lifts her legs over his shoulders and thrusts his cock into her vagina. "Yes, Baby, yes." Christian says in response to Ana's scream at the impact. He pulls out so that just the tip of his cock is in Ana and then thrusts all the way back in. He continues the motion repeatedly until Ana screams his name as her orgasm starts. Christian pauses until her waves subside. As her breathing starts to calm, Christian resumes his thrusting. "Oh, Ana, you drive me crazy." Christian shouts as he goes over the edge at the same moment that Ana climaxes for the second time.

As they fall back down to earth, Christian and Ana snuggle together in bed with their arms around each other. "Well, Ana, today is your big day. You're returning to your Alma Mater a very successful woman, just ten years after you graduated. I'm proud of you."

"I'm nervous, Christian, and feel like a fraud. I don't deserve the accolades. Yes, I've been able to provide several scholarships to WSU students, but the only reason I've been able to do that is because of your money." Ana says.

Christian hugs Ana closer and kisses her on the lips. "Ana, don't put yourself down. We've been through this before. Yes, what's mine is yours. And I'm certainly glad that you finally accepted that and willing spend our money – it took you long enough. But WSU is honoring you today for _your_ achievements in the publishing world as _Anastasia_ Grey, not as Mrs. Christian Grey. And any money you have provided for the scholarships has come from money you have made from Grey Publishing, not Grey Enterprises. From the time I gifted you GP, there has been no financial connection to GEH. You, without any financial assistance from my corporation, have expanded GP from one office in Seattle to numerous locations throughout the United States and on the verge of going international."

"I can't help it, Christian. I'm scared shitless having to stand up on that stage before all of those graduating students and then taking a couple of hours handing out the diplomas." Ana says as she runs her hands over Christian's chest. "You've been there. How did you feel?"

Christian gives Ana a quick kiss. "Well, Ana. If you remember, I was quite arrogant and egotistical back then. Don't roll your eyes at me." Christian leans over as if he is going to kiss Ana again, but bites her bottom lip instead. "I gave into the pressure from my PR people to accept the invitation only for the sake of publicizing the farming research I was financing. I was dreading the day until you stumbled into my office. But in hindsight, it was one of the best events in my life. If I wasn't speaking at that particular graduation ceremony, Kate wouldn't have spent months pressuring my PR people for an interview. I looked forward to the ceremony as I knew I would get to see you and still hoped to convince you to be my Submissive."

"Yeah. And how did that turn out for you Grey?" Ana asked sweetly. "Oops…Sir." Ana adds with a giggle.

Christian gives her a swat on her ass. "You know it's worked out fucking great for me, _Mrs. Grey_." He gives her another kiss. "The best decision I ever made in my life was finally accepting that I was the one that needed to change in order to have a life with you. You have changed my life for the better since that first day. It just took me a few weeks to realize it."

Christian pulls Ana's mouth to his and runs his tongue over her lips before sliding into her mouth. After several minutes, they break apart for air. "Ana. You won't have any problem. As soon as they see you, all of the straight males will be mesmerized by you and will be eye fucking you." Christian says. He grins and adds "Damn. I should have arranged for additional security around you. Don't forget, you're a MILF."

Ana smiles and says "Well ten years ago, I wasn't the only straight female eye fucking you when you were up on the stage. I sat among the graduates listening to various girls drooling over you. It was all I could do to tell them 'Hands off, he's all mine' because at that time I didn't think I was." Ana gives Christian a quick kiss, and nips his lower lip. "Hope you have to hear the similar comments. But promise you won't sic Taylor on them for their comments. I AM yours, and YOU are mine."

"I do believe snuggle and playtime is over, for now, Mrs. Grey. I better get my pants back on before the rug rat invasion begins. I don't believe there is a lock on the door." Christian says as he hears their children's voices in the living room area of their suite. Christian retrieves his pajama bottoms from the floor and puts them on. Ana does the same with her clothing. He is heading to the door when there is a quiet knock. He opens the door to find Teddy with his hand raised about to knock again. Teddy is surrounded by his brothers and sisters.

"Daddy!" Christiana cries, lifting her arms to be picked up. Christian bends down to pick her up in his arms.

Teddy says "Dad! May we come in? We have something for Mom. For her Special Day." Christian opens both of the double doors to the master bedroom. Five children go running into the room to jump on the bed with their mother. Christian follows with Christiana still in his arms, but she is wiggling to get down to join her siblings. He smiles as he sets his youngest daughter down and she scampers off to climb up on the bed.

Christian stops at the dresser to pick up his camera. He focuses the camera on the scene on the bed and snaps several pictures: Ana, the love of his life, surrounded by their children. Hugging, kissing and tickling them. Her smile is even brighter and happier than what Jose had captured in his pictures a decade ago. Christian joins his family on the bed.

After Ana gets a kiss and hug from everyone, Teddy raises on his knees. "Mom, my brothers, sisters and I have something to give you on this special day." Ana feels herself tearing up at the seriousness of Teddy. "_He is such a mini-Christian_." Ana says to herself. Teddy reaches into the bag he was carrying and pulls out a small gift wrapped box.

Ana opens the box. She gasps when she sees the contents. The tears that had been forming start to flow down her cheeks. "Did you all buy me this lovely bracelet?" Ana asks her children.

Phoebe pipes up "Well, Daddy bought it, but we all helped him select it." Phoebe turns to Christian and says "And we all were able to keep the secret, too. You thought someone would spill the beans. I told you there were no beans." Christian and Ana look at each other and laugh.

Ana lifts the bracelet out of the jeweler's box. The gold chain held several charms: four silhouettes of a boy's head and two of a girl's head. Each one engraved with the name on one side and the birthdate on the other. There is also a charm in the shape of a book. Engraved on one side is 'Grey Publishing' and on the other side the date when Ana became the sole owner of the company – their first wedding anniversary. Another charm was a diploma with today's date engraved on it. The center charm was 'I heart U. Ana looks at Christian and their eyes lock. Ana mouths 'I heart you' too.

"I love the bracelet. I will definitely wear it today." Ana says through her tears. "Come here everyone." She says as she tries to gather everyone in one big family hug. The hug soon turns into a tickling match with everyone being a winner.

Awhile later, there is a knock on the door. It is Taylor informing the family that Room Service has just delivered breakfast. When the Grey family files out to the living room of the suite, they find Taylor, Sawyer and Ryan eating their breakfast with Mrs. Livingston, the children's Nanny.

Mrs. Livingston starts to stand up to supervise the children's breakfast. Ana quickly says "Please, Mrs. Livingston, finish your breakfast. Mr. Grey and I will see that the children get their breakfast." Teddy and Phoebe help themselves to the buffet that has been set up in the dining area of the suite. Christian helps Christiana fill her plate and Ana does the same for Carrick. Once Christiana and Carrick are seated at the table, Christian and Ana serve up plates for Jason and Lucas as well as themselves. While they eat, they each supervise Jason and Lucas.

"Dad, why can't we go to watch Mom give her speech today?" Phoebe asks Christian while she eats her breakfast.

"Well Phoebe, besides putting a lot of stress on Taylor, Sawyer and Ryan trying to watch all of you young ones in a very large crowd, the ceremony is very long and boring." Christian looks at Ana and they share a smile, both remembering the graduation ceremony ten years ago when their minds were on each other. "Trust me, Phoebe, the only good part will be your mother's speech."

Ana hugs Phoebe and gives her a quick kiss on the top of her head. "Thank you Peanut for wanting to show your support. Trust me, you will have a lot more fun here playing with your brothers and sister. Just promise me that you'll be good for Mrs. Livingston." Ana looks at Christian with a smirk. "Daddy and I would much rather be playing with you all than sitting through a lot of long winded speeches and giving out diplomas. But it's a necessary evil that we have to endure when people want to honor us for our donations."

Teddy says "If you have to do these things because you give donations, stop giving donations."

Christian responds "We are fortunate that we have more than enough money for us to live a very comfortable life without having to worry about paying our bills or having money to buy food. But not everyone is that lucky. There are a lot of people in this world that cannot afford food to feed themselves or their families. That is why many years ago I started providing funding for the agricultural program at WSU. And your mother provides funding for several scholarships for people to attend college who otherwise could not afford it. She remembers that her parents were not able to finance her education. She had student loans and had to work a part-time job all through her college years to help finance her tuition and living expenses. To acknowledge charitable work, WSU honors people by inviting them to be the guest speaker at the annual graduation ceremonies." Christian smiles lovingly at Ana. "We are willing to sit through several hours of doing something we don't enjoy in the hopes that people will become aware of the issues and will contribute to worthy causes."

"We attend many charity dinners and balls for the same reason." Ana explains to the children. "Sometimes the charity is one that your father or I support and sometimes we attend in support of Grandma and Grandpa. They also do a lot of charity work." Ana smiles at her brood of children. "And when you get older, I hope that you will start attending functions with us."

"Does that mean that I have to wear a tux like Daddy and Grandpa do?" Teddy asks with a frown. "I don't know if I would enjoy that. It doesn't sound fun."

Christian ruffles Teddy's copper locks. "Sometimes you do have to force yourself. But it gets better when you find a beautiful woman to go with you." He looks at Ana with a gleam in his eye. "And then you can create your own fun."

Carrick says "I have fun at Christmas time when we go to the Children's Hospital and those other places to give out toys to the kids there."

Christian hugs Carrick and says "I'm glad you do. I do too. It makes me happy that we can bring some joy into the lives of children who are sick or don't have parents who can afford to give their children toys like your Mommy and I do."

Christiana proclaims "Getting dressed up in gowns and wearing make-up like Mommy does sounds like lots of fun. I can't wait until I'm old enough to attend a ball." Christian closes his eyes as he groans. Only Ana hears him say "Not until you're thirty." Christian opens his eyes and glares at Ana when he hears her giggle, but the glare soon turns into a smile in response to Ana's smile.


	7. Chapter 7

"_I can't believe I'm sitting up here on this stage with the college dignitaries. The same spot Christian was ten years ago when I was part of the graduation class. I hope I can get through this. Christian wouldn't have had a problem as he would have been in complete control of the situation." _Ana tries to calm the butterflies that are having a field day in her stomach. She looks into the crowd and sees Christian and Taylor are sitting front row center.

The butterflies settle down as Ana makes eye contact with Christian: blue eyes staring into grey. Christian is beaming his mega-watt, panty melting smile and gives Ana two thumbs up. Ana smiles back and realizes she is biting her lower lip. Ana smiles serenely and her body starts to tingle when she reads Christian's lips: "I'm counting." Ana mouths back "Silver balls." Christian responds with his most sexy, evil smirk. He is well aware of the affect the ben wa balls has on her, especially when she wears them in public. And he benefits from being the one that gets to help her relieve her sexual tension.

The ceremony commences. Ana is aware of people on stage talking, but her focus is on Christian. She is aware that many of the girls keep glancing at him, as well as their mothers. Some openly eye fucking him. Ana thinks to herself "_That man should be banned from a college campus with all those young girls. Good thing I have Jason to keep him safe – for me._ _I'm the only one that gets to ravish Christian Grey."_

Ana's thoughts and the ben wa balls are having their usual affect on her and she was only vaguely aware of the President introducing her. It was only seeing Christian motioning with his hands for her to stand that she realized it was finally her turn to speak. She stood up and walked to the podium. Christian had assured her that she looked fantastic. She had decided to wear a plum colored wrap around Prada dress with the skirt ending just above her knees. Due to the heat, she choose to go bare legged so she was able to wear her new five inch heel sandals. On her wrist was the brand new charm bracelet her children had given her this morning in honor of today.

Ana began her speech "Congratulations Graduates – this day has FINALLY arrived. YOUR day. I'm sure you often thought it would never arrive. I know that was how I felt when I was in college. You've been busy getting the last of your papers and exams done and chomping at the bit to get out into the real world. Be careful what you wish for. Along with the joys of being out in the adult world, there are also the responsibilities that come with it: finding employment to pay your rent, food, clothing and entertainment. And for many of you, you start off this new life with the debt of student loans hanging over your head. Do not despair. Follow your dreams. There may be times you need to go in a different direction, but that does not mean you should give up your dreams and alter your goals. Do not go through life with blinders on and be so focused on one goal that you do not see the sidelines. Sometimes good things happen when you least expect it and you may miss out on something spectacular because you were unwilling to take a chance. And do not discount the value of your family."

Ana continues her speech of encouraging the new graduates to seize the world but also to not forget others. If someone assists you or does an act of kindness for you, pass it on twofold if at all possible. She ended her speech to a standing ovation. Ana was not sure if the students were only following Christian and Jason or if they were just relieved that she had finally shut up. It also occurred to her that Christian would not be above paying the entire graduation class to give her a standing ovation. She did not care, her only concern was that Christian was proud of her. She beamed when Christian blew her a kiss. She smiled when she saw Christian wiping tears from his eyes.

The graduates filed on stage, one by one, to receive this diploma. When James Conner stood in front of Ana, she gave him an extra big smile and asked if his parents were present as she would like to meet them. After the last of the graduates crossed the stage, the dignitaries filed off the stage to mingle with people and head to the refreshment tent. Ana looks around the crowd for her gorgeous husband. Before she can spot him, she can sense him nearby as her body starts to tingle. She feels an arm around her waist and is pulled back against a hard body.

Ana gives a quick gasp and with shortened breath, says "Hmmmm…that feels good. But Sir, you best be careful, my husband is somewhere in this crowd and he is very possessive."

"Oh really! While I guess I'll have to be very careful then and you'll need to be very quiet." Christian whispers as he first kisses Ana's ear and continues down the side of her neck with little kisses. Ana turns in his arms and wraps her arms around her husband's neck to bring his mouth down to hers for a deep kiss. When they eventually break apart, they are both breathless.

"Ana. You were fantastic! I'm so proud to be your husband." Christian tells Ana. Ana can feel her eyes tearing up. Christian wipes the tears away with his thumbs and kisses her. Ana can feel Christian's hands moving down to fondle her ass, giving her cheeks a squeeze. One hand moves around to her front to rub her sex. "How are you feeling?" Christian asks with a smirk when Ana moans. "Let's get a glass of champagne and food while we socialize." Christian takes Ana by the hand and heads to the refreshment tent.

"I can't believe that you're wanting to have a glass of champagne here. If I remember, you could barely finish your glass ten years ago." Ana says to Christian.

"Well I was very nervous. Don't forget I was in turmoil...the devil in me was desperately wanting to make you my submissive and get into your pants and my conscious was telling me to leave sweet, young, little, innocent Ana alone." Christine reminds his wife. "And what they were passing off as champagne tasted like shit."

"Well, I'm sure they are still serving the same beverage." Ana says. When she sees the twinkle in Christian's eyes, the light bulb goes off and she stops walking, forcing Christian to come to a stop. "You've supplied the champagne this year haven't you?"

"Of course. Why not? I want this day to be memorable for you Ana. I've always told you that I wanted to give you the world. The least I could do today is give you decent champagne." Christian says. He puts his hands on her cheeks to cup her face. "I'm _so_ proud of you Ana. In ten years, as CEO, you have taken Grey Publishing from one small operation in Seattle to become a multi-million dollar corporation with numerous locations around the country and about to go worldwide with offices in Canada and England. At the same time you have turned my life around by giving me a reason to live and feel loved and cherished but still challenge me when necessary in and out of the bedroom and playroom. You've given me six beautiful, healthy children and are a very hands-on mother in their upbringing and care. And in your spare time you managed to write a best selling novel – although that is our little secret."

"Oh Sir, you flatter me." Ana whispers with tears in her eyes. She reaches her hands up to cup Christian's face and whispers "I can't wait for you to fuck me…hard!" Christian's eyes glaze over and he gives her his mega-watt, panty melting smile before lowering his mouth over hers with his tongue invading her mouth to battle her tongue.

They come up for air when they are finally aware of Taylor coughing, trying to get their attention. "I'd tell you to 'get a room', but I'd be risking my job." Jason tells them with a smirk. "Please be considerate of others. Not everyone has their significant other with them, you know. Plus Mrs. Grey _is_ expected to socialize with the graduates and their families."

"Does that mean I can't drag Mr. Grey into the nearest closet to have my wicked way with him? Damn, I was so looking forward to that!" Ana says with a pout. Christian chuckles, hugs Ana and says "Laters Baby!" Ana quickly responds with "Promises, promises."

Christian takes her hand and leads her to the refreshment tent. "Best get you something to eat. Need to keep your strength up Mrs. Grey. I have plans for you later." Christian says, winking at Ana. Ana rolls her eyes. Even all these years, Christian is always pushing food. "Same goes for you too Mr. Grey." Ana tells her husband.

As they enter the tent, Ana spots James Conner in the distance standing with several people. Ana suggests to Christian that he get their food and join her with James. They would be able to get flutes of champagne from the waiters mingling through the crowd.

"James! It is so nice to see you again." Ana says when she joins the group. James blushes.

"Mrs. Grey, pleasure to see you again. Great speech." James manages to say.

"Please call me Ana." Ana tells James.

James remembers his manners and turns to introduce his parents to Ana. "Ana, these are my parents: Richard Conner and Edna Reynolds. Mom, Dad, this is Anastasia Grey. Remember, I told you about interviewing her when Jane was sick?"

Ana extends her hand and shakes hands with both Richard and Edna "Nice to meet you." she says. As she looks at Edna Reynolds, it is like looking in the mirror in about twenty years. "Nice to meet you too." both Richard and Edna say.

"James told me that I reminded him of his mother. I do feel like I'm looking in the mirror." Ana says to Edna.

Edna laughs and says "Yes, he told me. I agree, but I believe your mirror added a couple of decades to the reflection."

Ana says "I'd like you meet to meet my husband. I want him to see what I'll look like in a few years. Oh there he is now." She turns to take her plate from Christian to take hold of his free hand and groans at the amount of food he was able to pile onto the plate. As she turns back to Richard and Edna she hears Edna gasp "BOBBY!" before fainting. She fell to the ground before either Richard or James were able to catch her.


	8. Chapter 8

Christian and Jason rush forward to assist the others in reviving the woman. A few minutes later she opens her eyes and sees Christian's grey eyes looking down at her. "Oh my God!" she says and tries to sit up.

Christian grins and says "Don't think I've ever heard that from a woman I'm just about to meet." His comment earns him a swat on the arm from Ana. "Let's get you up and to a seat. Let's find a nearby building away from the crowds. Are you able to walk?" he asks Edna. "By the way, I'm Christian Grey."

Richard Conner helps his wife up and with his arm around her for support and follows Taylor and Christian out of the tent. Ana and James follow behind after Ana obtains a bottle of water from one of the drink tables.

Jason heads to the nearest building and finds an unlocked classroom. Richard helps his wife into a seat and everyone sits down in other seats. "Edna, what happened?" Richard asked his wife.

"I'm sorry. When I saw Mr. Grey, he reminded me of someone from the past and some painful memories came over me." Edna said.

"Do you mean Ella?" Richard asked his wife. She nods.

"Yes, Mr. Grey looks like an older version of Bobby, my sister's boyfriend when we were teenagers." Edna says.

"ELLA?" both Christian and Ana exclaim.

"Yes, Ella was my twin sister. When we were sixteen, she got pregnant by her boyfriend Bobby, the son of our housekeeper. Bobby was a year older and had started working as our gardener and handyman. Ella and Bobby were very much in love and wanted to get married. Our father was a very overbearing, domineering man and refused to give his permission. He was very status conscious and felt the gardener son of our housekeeper was beneath us. He arranged for Ella to have an abortion, but Ella and Bobby ran away instead of going to the appointment."

Ana looks at Christian who is sitting very still and pale looking. She is sure he is thinking the same thing that she is. Is it possible that Edna's twin sister Ella was Christian's 'crack whore mother'? "What happened to them?" Ana asked.

"I'm sad to say I don't know." Edna answers. "Dad was furious that someone dared to go against his orders. He fired our housekeeper Mrs. White and basically kept me a prisoner. My mother was no help as she was too meek and mild and never stood up to my father. My older brother Fred was a clone of Dad, so I had no support from him either. I was too young and didn't have the resources to search for Ella. I was finally able to get away from my 'prison' in suburban Detroit when I went to college in Chicago. Once I graduated and didn't need Dad's money to pay for tuition, I cut off all contact with my family. With Richard's support, I've tried to find Ella over the years, but haven't been able to find her."

Edna is crying. Christian gives her a handkerchief to wipe her eyes. "Please continue, if you can." Christian says.

"We were eventually able to locate Mrs. White. When Dad fired her, he ensured that no one else in Farmington Hills would hire her, so she moved into Detroit and found work as a live-in housekeeper which meant that Bobby and Ella weren't able to live with her. They got an apartment and kept in touch with her. They both found jobs and were looking forward to the birth of their child. They weren't able to marry as Ella was under age and unable to get parental consent. The day after Ella gave birth to a boy, Mrs. White had had to leave the country with her employers. She didn't return to Detroit until the fall and Bobby and his family seemed to have disappeared. Mrs. White went to the police to file missing person reports and learned that Bobby had been killed by a hit and run driver just a few days after she had left Detroit. The police were never able to discover what happened to Ella and their baby Christian."

"I was born in Detroit. In 1983." Christian says quietly. "My mother Ella died of a drug overdose when I was four." Ana is holding Christian's hand and rubbing his back in comfort. "I remember her with long brown hair and big blue eyes."

"Oh. My. God!" Edna exclaims. "Is it possible? Could you really be the son of Bobby and my sister Ella?" She opens her purse to take out her wallet. She pulls out a small, well worn photo and hands it to Ana.

Ana gasps. It is like looking at a photo of herself and Christian if they had been together as teenagers. The copper haired teenage boy is standing with his arm firmly around the girl looking down at her longingly with his grey eyes. Her long brown tresses are flowing over his chest as she gazes up at him with her big blue eyes. The pose is very similar to one of the wedding photos taken of Christian and Ana.

With tears in her eyes, Ana shows the picture to Christian. He is stunned. He reaches into the breast pocket of his suit to pull out his wallet. He pulls out a photo, also well worn, and hands it Ana who walks over to Edna to show it to her. Ana realizes Christian isn't able to stand up himself at his point.

"Oh. My. God!" Edna exclaims again. "This is your wedding photo? It looks as if it could have been a wedding photo of Bobby and Ellen – if they had been able to get married." She starts sobbing at the thought of the love her sister lost. Richard pulls her into his arms.

James has watching the adults interact and is amazed at the family history he is only learning about now. He had always wondered why his mother had minimal contact with her parents and brother. He had always assumed it was because his grandparents and uncle were in the Detroit area and his mother had her life in Chicago. He is having difficulty comprehending the horrendous life she must have had before escaping to college. He and his brothers had grown up in a very loving household and he felt very close to his parents.

Ana walks over to the door and goes out into the hallway to fill Jason in on what has just happened. She knows that once Christian's mind starts functioning again, he will want an investigation into the new information he now has about what has to have been his mother, father and grandmother. Ana steps back into the room and motions for Richard to join her out in the hallway. No sense in having Edna and Christian relive everything again at this point in time.

Ana says "Richard, this is Christian's right hand man, Jason Taylor. Please tell him everything you know about Ella and Bobby. We will use every resource we have to locate Mrs. White and verify our suspicions that Edna's sister Ella was Christian's mother. And believe me, Christian has _lots_ of resources."

"Jason, may I use your cell phone? I didn't bring my purse today and my dress doesn't have any pockets." Ana asks. Jason hands the phone to her and then turns to start asking Richard questions. Ana excuses herself to return to her husband. Her beloved Fifty Shades of Grey is going to need a lot of love and support right now. Before returning to the classroom, she takes a few steps down the hallway away from the men to call her mother-in-law Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey. She knows that Dr. John Flynn will also need to be contacted about the revelations, but feels it best that it comes from Christian.

"Hello Grace?" Ana asks when the phone is answered.

"Ana? What's happened? Why are you taking the time to call me during your big day? Carrick and I were watching the webcast of the ceremony. We've recorded it for you. You looked stunning. You probably don't know, but whenever the camera panned the crowd, they always made a point of focusing in on Christian. I guess because he rarely makes public appearances. He was beaming every time. Almost as much as your wedding day and each time he introduced us to another of your children."

"Thank you Grace. Are you sitting down?" Ana asks.

"Yes I am Ana. You're scaring me. What's wrong?" Grace questions.

"What do you know about Christian's biological mother Ella and her family. And Christian's biological father? "

"I believe you have been told that the courts wouldn't allow Carrick and I to adopt Christian immediately. They had to ensure that there were no biological family members to step forward and claim him."

"Yes, I remember you telling me that one time. Did you ever see any documentation about Ella's background? "

"See any? No."

"Grace, _WHAT_ are you not telling me. You sound evasive."

"Ana. We should do this face to face rather than on the phone. Why are you asking? "

"Do you remember Christian and I telling you about my interview for the WSU student newspaper? With a James Conner? At the time he told me that I reminded him of his mother. Well we got to meet her today. "

"And? Did she look like you?"

"Yes, but that isn't why I'm calling. When she saw Christian for the first time, she said 'Bobby' and then fainted at his feet. I know Christian can have that effect of women fainting at his feet, but they usually don't call him by someone else's name first." Ana says with tongue in cheek.

"Oh Ana. I'm so glad you can see the humor in Christian's effect on women. Always remember that you are the only women he has ever loved. Did you say 'Bobby'? What is the name of this woman?"

"The woman's name is Edna Reynolds. She kept her maiden name when she married Richard Conner. Bobby White was the housekeeper's son who fell in love with Edna's twin sister Ella. The father disowned 16 year old Ella when he found out she was pregnant. Edna wasn't able to escape from her controlling father until she left for college and she has not maintained contact with her family. She has never been able to track down her sister, but was able to locate Bobby's mother and was given a picture of Bobby and Ella together. "

"Ana! Are you saying that this Edna is Christian's biological aunt? And the housekeeper his Grandmother?"

"Yes, Grace. I really do think it's true. Edna showed us the picture she was given. Even the pose of the couple looks exactly like wedding pictures of Christian and myself. And no, I don't believe it has been Photoshopped. Do you know any more details of Ella's background?"

Grace responds quietly. "Yes, Carrick has some documents. I've never read them myself, just accepted what Carrick told me. I think it is time that Christian sees them. I think he can handle it now. I know the kids will be tired when you get back home from Portland this evening. Carrick and I will come over after dinner."

"What are you not telling me Grace? You can't leave me in suspense like this. I need to be prepared for Christian's reaction." Ana pleads to her mother-in-law. Ana is envisioning that whatever it is that Carrick and Grace have kept from Christian all these years will bring back all the fifty shades of grey that have been slowly disappearing during the past ten years. "Should I invite John Flynn over as well?"

"Maybe you should Ana. As I said, I've never seen the actual documents, I just have Carrick's verbal summary." Grace says. She sighs and continues. "The courts did locate the birth registration for Christian. Ella's parents were tracked down. When contacted her father refused to acknowledge her existence or 'her bastard child' as he was apparently quoted as saying. That was sufficient for the courts to allow Carrick and I to adopt, so we never pursued anything further. As you know, we had enough problems with Christian without exposing him to people who obviously didn't want him."

"Grace, thank you for telling me this. I really do believe this Edna we met today is Christian's biological aunt. I look forward to meeting with you and Carrick this evening to get the full details. I'm sure Christian will want to pursue an investigation." Ana says. "I will contact John to see if he can join us this evening."

"I look forward to meeting this Edna and her family. It sounds like she's had a difficult life and tried to keep in contact with her twin. As a mother of two sets of twin, Ana, you know the strong bond between twins. See you tonight."

Ana hangs up and quickly calls John Flynn. As she's dialing, she sighs when she realizes she has memorized the phone number for her husband's psychiatrist.

"John. Ana Grey here. I don't have time to talk right now, but I hope that you are available for a house call this evening."

"What's wrong Ana? Is Christian alright?" Dr. John Flynn questions. "Yes, I'm available. Christian has always wanted to put me on exclusive 24/7. I've managed to refrain, but have always tried to be available."

"Thanks John. I believe we have discovered some information on Christian's parents and their parents. Apparently Grace and Carrick have known more information than they have ever told Christian, but Grace is willing to share it this evening. I think Christian can handle it, but I thought it best for you to be on the spot."

"Yes, it does sound like I should be there. See you at 8 p.m." Ana hangs up.

Ana returns to where Taylor and Richard are standing. "Jason, do you have enough information?" She hands Jason's phone back to him. "Christian's parents will be coming to the house at 8 p.m. this evening and Dr. Flynn will be joining us." Jason nods his head to acknowledge he understands her silent instructions.

Ana turns to Richard Conner and says "Richard, let's join our spouses." The two walk back into the classroom. From the corner of her eye, she sees Jason already on the phone initiating an investigation.

Christian hears the door to the classroom open and looks up. His eyes light up when he sees Ana enter. She heads straight to him and leans over to kiss him. "Are you okay?" Christian nods, unable to speak, and pulls her close.

Ana turns to Richard, Edna and James. "I've talked to Christian's adoptive mother, Dr. Grace Trevelyan-Grey. She and her husband Carrick will be meeting with Christian and me this evening to discuss the information you have given us and compare it to the information they received when they adopted Christian. Would you be able to travel to Seattle today and stay overnight at our house? Grace, and I'm sure Carrick, would love to meet you." Christian nods his agreement.

Edna and Richard look at one another. Edna says "We would love to, but unfortunately we'll need to decline – at least this time. We need to return to Chicago this evening as we both have work commitments tomorrow. Maybe we can meet in the future – either in Seattle or Chicago."

Ana walks over to Edna and hugs her. "I understand. We definitely need to stay in touch. I'm sure when Christian gets over his shock, he will want to learn more about his mother as a child." The women exchange contact information.

Still in a daze, Christian stands up and walks over to Edna to envelope her in a hug. "Hello Aunt Edna." Edna returns the hug. Both have tears in their eyes. Christian turns to Richard and says "I guess this makes you my Uncle Richard." The two men shake hands.

Ana walks over to James and hugs him. "And that makes you Cousin James. Welcome to the family."

James blushes and stammers "I had no idea about any of this. I had told Mom that I thought you looked like her and about meeting Mr. Grey, er Christian, but I knew nothing about his connection to Mom's twin. She rarely talks about her."

Christian joins them to stand behind Ana, wrapping his arms around her waist. He leans down to kiss Ana behind her left ear, smiles and says "These interviews with the WSU student newspaper and graduation ceremony lead to life changing events. Good thing they only happen for us every ten years."

In response to the questioning looks from the Conners, Ana giggles and starts to explain. "Christian and I met ten years ago when I interviewed him for the student newspaper. My roommate, Kate Kavenaugh, had spent months pressuring Christian's office staff for an interview and he had finally relented as a favor to her father, a business associate. Kate came down with the flu the day of the interview and pressured me into going in her place." She turns to look lovingly at Christian. "It was love at first sight for both of us, although it took us a few weeks to accept that fact. Christian didn't think he was worthy of me and tried to keep away from me. He was conferring degrees at my graduation and we realized we couldn't keep away from each other. And because of us, Kate met Christian's brother Elliott and they fell in love."

"Now this year, on the anniversary of our interview, James fills in for his roommate to interview me for the WSU student newspaper. And then at the graduation ceremony, we discover that James is related to Christian."

Christian leans down to kiss Ana below her right ear. "I wonder what will happen ten years from now."

Everyone laughs when James says "Best not to schedule any interviews with the WSU student newspaper and stay away from the graduation ceremony."

Richard announces that they should be going. They have reservations for an early dinner with their new graduate before he and Edna have to fly back to Chicago. Christian says that he and Ana need to say their goodbyes to some of the college officials before heading back to get their children and returning home.

Everyone says their goodbyes and leave the room. Ana makes eye contact with Jason who nods to indicate that he has initiated an investigation into Ella Reynolds and Bobby White, the biological parents of Christian Grey.


	9. Chapter 9

"You okay Baby?" Ana asks Christian as she runs her hand up his thigh. They are in the limousine enroute to the Heathman Hotel in Portland to pick up their children. She is concerned that Christian will revert to his fifty shades of grey fucked-up-ness.

Christian puts his arm around her and fondles her breast. He gives her an evil smile when he hears her soft moan. "Yes, Baby, I'm okay. At least I think I am. Edna's information has certainly been overwhelming and earth shattering. It will take quite a while for me to absorb it all." He leans over to kiss her. As soon as his lips touch hers, she runs her tongue over his teeth and further into his mouth. Her fingers start to undo his shirt buttons and pulls his shirt open to run her hands over his bare chest. She loves that he no longer flinches and tries to pull away when she touches his chest. She hopes that today's revelations don't force him back to that phobia.

Christian pulls his lips back from Ana's and says "Why Mrs. Grey, are you trying to seduce me?"

"Is it working, Mr. Grey?" Ana asks as her hands start working on his tie – her favorite grey one. _Well, an exact replica of the original tie he used the first time he tied her up _she reminds herself.

Christian presses the button to raise the privacy screen. "_Fuck, I love this privacy. Maybe my seduction of Ana would have been easier if we'd had this privacy then."_ He takes hold of one of Ana's hands and places it over his erection. "What do you think?" he asks.

"I'd say that was an affirmative, Sir". Ana squeezes him and smiles when he moans.

Christian reaches around Ana to play with the tie of her wrap around dress. "This is the only thing holding your dress in place? What happens if I tug on it, like this?" he asks with a smirk.

"You'd get lucky." Ana says breathlessly. She releases her seatbelt and moves forward out of her dress. She kneels down in front of Christian between his open legs. She reaches up to undo the button on his pants and pulls down the zipper. She tugs on the waist of his pants. Christian raises his ass off the seat so that she can pull his pants down, taking his boxers with them. "Yes, definitely lucky." she says when she sees how hard he is before taking him into her mouth. She looks up at her husband and their eyes lock – blue eyes staring into grey.

"Oh fuck Ana! That feels so good. You always know what I need." Christian runs both hands through Ana's long brown hair. She continues sucking, taking him deep into her mouth. Her tongue swirls around his cock and her hands massage his balls. "Oh fuck Ana, I'm going to come."

Ana smiles as she swallows and licks him clean. "Hmmm…Christian flavored popsicle. Still my favorite flavor - even after all these years."

Christian reaches down to pull the straps of Ana's bra part way down her arms and then pulls the cups of the bra down to push her breasts up even further. He grabs Ana by the waist and pulls her up to straddle his lap. Her arms are bound to her side by the bra straps. Christian laughs and says "Hmm…love the view." He pulls her closer and takes her left breast into his mouth. As he sucks on the breast, with his tongue swirling around the nipple, his right hand fondles and squeezes her right breast. She gasps when he pinches the right nipple at the same time as his teeth nip the left. He smiles evilly as his mouth moves to the right breast and his hand starts to fondle and squeeze the left breast. After a few minutes he pinches and nips the nipples at the same time again. Ana is breathing quite heavily and moaning. Christian takes Ana's hands in his and puts them behind her back, forcing her closer to him. His mouth continues its assault on her breasts, running kisses over both breasts and around the nipples but not touching the nipples. Ana is writhing against Christian rubbing her pussy against his crotch. "Can I make you come like this, Ana?" His mouth continues working on her breast, with his teeth taking little nips between kisses. His tongue circles the left nipple and then repeats on the right. Ana's moaning is getting louder. Christian takes Ana's left breast into his mouth and sucks with his tongue swirling around the nipple. He changes to the right breast but instead of his tongue swirling around the nipple, his teeth nips at it. Ana screams "Christian" as her orgasm overcomes her.

Before the waves have totally subsides, Ana is vaguely aware of how hard Christian's cock is beneath her pussy. Christian tugs on her thong, ripping it off her. He realizes Ana still has the Ben Wa in her and tugs on the string to pull them out. He positions her over his cock and pulls her done, with her vagina taking all of his cock. With hands on each side of her waist, Christian pulls Ana off his cock and then down again. Ana's breast are bouncing up and down and Christian can't stop himself from taking them back into his mouth again. "Oh fuck Ana, I'm going to come." He says as he continues pulling her up and down. "Oh fuck Christian! Oh!" Ana shouts as her second orgasm starts and that triggers Christian's.

It takes them several minutes before their breathing returns to normal. Christian pulls Ana's mouth down to his for a deep, long kiss. "Ana, you are the love of my life. I really don't know what I would have been like now if we had not gotten together."

"Instead of fifty shades of fuckness, you'd probably be one hundred, or more, shades by now." Ana kisses him. "But I don't know what you would have done once you ran out of brunette subs." she said with a giggle.

"Good thing I'll never have to figure that one out."

After they pull their clothes back on, Ana snuggles up to Christian. "Mrs. Grey, you should have your seat belt on."

"May I point out to you, Mr. Grey, you didn't seem to be concerned about my seat belt wearing when I was on my knees between your legs or riding you like a horse." Ana giggles and adds "Just image if Benson had to slam the brakes on when I had your cock down my throat. What would we have told the ER doctors?"

"Oh Ana, you'll be the death of me yet. But what a way to go!" Christian laughs and kisses her. He wraps his arm around her to pull her even closer. "Ana, I'm sorry Edna's revelations have overshadowed your day. I can't stop telling you how proud I am of you and the way WSU has honored you. How can I make it up to you?"

"Just continue loving me, Christian. Don't shut me out as you discover more of Ella's life. I am your life partner and will be there for you, through thick and thin."

"I know you're my partner, Ana. I'll try to not shut you out, but you know I always want to protect you from the bad things. What did my mother have to say?"

"Grace said that Carrick has documents from the search that was done prior to the courts granting approval for your adoption. She admitted that she has never read the documents, accepting Carrick's synopsis of the information. She wants the information revealed in person, not over the phone. She suggested that she and Carrick come over to our house as the kids will be tired when we get home. John Flynn will also be joining us." Ana informs Christian. She kept back the information that Grace had told her about Ella's father response when contacted by the court.

"Thank you Ana. You take such good care of me." Christian says. "Jason has started an investigation?" Ana nods. "Good. You are getting to become quite the Mrs. Control Freak, aren't you?" Christian grins.


	10. Chapter 10

Christian & Ana Grey Family Home

Seattle, Washington

"Come and sit down, Christian. You're going to wear a hole in the floor with your pacing back and forth." Ana says to her husband. She is worried about her beloved husband since they met Edna Reynolds earlier in the day at WSU. Her revelations could give some light on the past of Christian's mother Ella. Ana hoped it would be able to give Christian some disclosure and he would be able to shed many of his shades of grey.

"Your parents and Dr. Flynn should soon be here. Calm down and come sit beside me." Ana. "We'll play later. I know you'll feel a lot better afterwards."

Christian sits down and pulls Ana onto his lap. "Oh, Baby. You are so good to me. You always know just what I want. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you." His mouth captures Ana's and his tongue explores her mouth. Their hands start fondling each other. Christian pushes Ana down onto the cushions and follows her down so that he is laying on top of her. Ana starts to wrap her legs around Christian's waist when they both hear someone coughing. They pull apart and look up to see Grace and Carrick Grey standing at the entrance to the living room with big smiles on their faces.

"Mom. Dad. How long have you been standing there?" Christian says with a sheepish look as stands to walk over to his parents. He leans down to kiss his mother on the cheek and hugs his father. Ana is blushing as she stands up and walks over to hug and kiss both Grace and Carrick.

Carrick responds "Oh I don't know. Several minutes I think. I thought it best to finally make our presence known before your Mother saw more than she needs to see. God. You two still act likely newlyweds." Ana blushes an ever deeper shade of red.

"As Mom's a doctor, I'm sure she's seen a lot. And with all of the bimbos Elliott used to bring home when he was still living at home, I would think she's seen it all." Christian says with a laugh, not in the least embarrassed at the thought of what his parents may have seen if they had arrived a few minutes later.

"What have I missed?" John Flynn asks as he walks into the room. "Hello Ana." He says as he kisses her on the cheek. "Thank you for calling me."

"My Father is trying to claim that they had to interrupt Ana and I before we got too pornographic." Christian responds. "Like they've never made out before. Maybe some of my shades of grey is recessed memories of what I saw them doing when they didn't know that little eyes were watching." Christian continued with a twinkle in his eye. "John, maybe you can pay for your next vacation by investigating that concept with me."

Ana rolls her eyes at her husband's teasing comments. Christian sees that and pulls her to his side and whispers in her ear "I'm always counting." She shivers at the thought of the joys that later will bring. "I count on that Sir." She whispers back as her hand reaches behind Christian to squeeze his ass.

Ana takes a deep breath and turns her attention to her guests. "Please, everyone take a seat. Christian, would you get drinks for everyone. I think we are all going to need at least one drink."

John Flynn takes a seat in a single chair and sits back to watch whatever it is that is about to unfold. Grace and Carrick take seats together on one of the couches. Ana takes a seat on another couch facing her in-laws. Christian joins her after delivering drinks to everyone. Ana takes Christian's hand in hers to off support.

Ana looks at Christian and he nods, giving his assent to start. She tells them about James Conner interviewing her a few weeks ago and his comment about her reminding him of his mother. She ignores Christian's laugh when Grace says "Oww. That was bound to happen sometime, but it is always difficult the first time. Sorry Ana, please continue."

Ana continues recounting the revelations from earlier today. At the reception following the graduation ceremony today, James introduced me to his parents Richard Conner and Edna Reynolds from Chicago. "And yes, Edna does look a lot like me, albeit older." She ignores Christian's smirk.

"But that wasn't the shock. The big shock was when Christian joined us. Edna said 'Bobby' and fainted. Apparently Christian is the spitting image of Bobby White, the boyfriend of her twin sister, Ella, when they were teenagers. Ella became pregnant when she was 16, running away with Bobby when her father disowned her."

Ana squeezes Christian's hand. "I am sure Edna's sister is Christian's mother. Edna and Ella grew up in an affluent suburb of Detroit. Their father was a very controlling man. Bobby was the son of their housekeeper. She was fired when the lovers ran away. The father became even more controlling over Edna and she was unable to have any communication with her sister. By the time she gained freedom by going to college in Chicago, she was unable to locate her sister. She did eventually locate the housekeeper, Margaret White. Bobby and Ella had started a life for themselves in Detroit looking forward to the birth of their child. The baby boy was born June 18 1983." Ana hears gasps from her guests, but proceeds with her story. "The day after the baby was born, Margaret had had to leave town with her new employers on an extended vacation in Europe. When she returned, other people were living in Bobby and Ella's apartment and were unable to tell Edna where they had moved. Ella went to the police and discovered that Bobby had been killed in a hit and run accident only a few days after she had left for Europe. The police had no record on what became of Ella or the baby. Edna has spent a lot of time and money over the years, but has never been able to locate Ella or the baby.

Ana addresses Carrick and says "Grace admitted to me today that you do have additional information about Christian's background which you never shared with anyone - including Grace." Carrick nods. "Please let us know what other information you have. I think the time has come."

Carrick reveals information he had kept secret for over thirty years. At the time he was given the information, the important thing was that he and Grace were allowed to adopt Christian. Given the emotional condition that Christian was in at that point in time, and then the hostility he had towards everyone as he grew older, Carrick chose to keep the information to himself. He did not even share it with Grace. She accepted and trusted Carrick that she knew the pertinent details and was better off not knowing the rest.

Before the Greys were able to legally adopt Christian, authorities had to ensure that there were no living biological family members who would raise objections. Grace, anxious to be able to adopt the poor little waif that had been brought into ER, gladly accepted the word that there was no one claiming Christian and did not ask any questions. However, Carrick, being a lawyer, wanted any information available. When he read the files he received, he gladly kept it secret from Grace and Christian.

Carrick informed the group that the information in his files corresponds to the information Edna Reynolds revealed to Ana and Christian earlier in the day. Authorities had tracked down Ella's biological parents, Frederick and Elizabeth Reynolds, in Auburn Hills Michigan. When Frederick Reynolds was informed of the death of his daughter Ella and there was an orphaned son, he showed no morose for the death of his daughter and he refused to have anything to do with the bastard son of his slut of a daughter. With such a negative response from the infant's grandfather, the authorities made no attempt to contact his wife as it would not have been a good environment for the orphaned infant. The authorities had been unable to locate any relatives on the father's side. Carrick speculated to his listeners that as Margaret White was a live-in housekeeper it would have been difficult to track her down, especially with a fairly common name.

During Carrick's telling of the information that he had kept secret, Ana kept her arm tightly around Christian. The more information Carrick revealed, the more tense Christian became. By the end of Carrick's story, Christian was gripping one of Ana's hands. Both Grace and Ana had tears flowing down their faces.

Christian quietly asked Carrick "Did you ever try to make contact with the Reynolds yourself?"

Carrick responded "Contact? No. I did have research done on them. Elizabeth Reynolds died in 1990 and Frederick Reynolds remarried that same year to a much younger woman. As far as I know, he is still alive. His son Fred Junior took over the business when Senior retired."

"What business?" Christian asked. Ana looked at him and saw the wheels turning in his head.

"A car dealership. Ford I believe. In Auburn Hills Michigan."

A very quiet Christian stands, and, while running both hands through his longish copper locks, walks over to Carrick and stands in front of him. Carrick looks questionally at him. Christian says "Please stand up Dad." Carrick hesitantly stands up, bracing himself for a violent outburst from Christian.

Once Carrick is standing, Christian puts both arms around his father and hugs him tightly. After a few seconds, Carrick puts his arms around Christian. It is the first time ever that either one hugged the other. With his head still buried again Carrick's chest, Christian is crying. Through his tears, he manages to say "Thank you Dad for keeping this information secret. I don't think I could have handled the knowledge that my biological grandfather could not only turn his back on his own daughter in a time of need, but also a defenseless grandson."

Carrick's arms tighten even more around Christian and he is no longer holding back his tears. "I know you couldn't, son, which is why I kept the information to myself. I've never even told Grace all of the information." Grace and Ana, both sobbing, jump up and join their husband in a family group hug. The two couples stand like that for several minutes before breaking apart.

Grace pulls her son into her arms and he does not resist. "I'm so glad you are not angry or upset with us for keeping this information from you. You do know it was because we love you, don't you?" Christian nods.

While Grace and Christian are still hugging, Carrick hugs Ana and says "Thank you Ana for coming into Christian's life. It may have been in baby steps, and taken years to get to this point, but you have made our son whole. Your love these past ten years has done more for Christian than our love was able to do for twice as long. You have given us a loving son."

A teary-eyed Ana says "Carrick and Grace, please rest assured, Christian has always loved you both, as well as Elliott and Mia. I know he has had trouble over the years being able to admit it and therefore show it, but I've always known that deep down he did love you all. He just was always too afraid to show it. It took him awhile to admit his actions with me were love."

Grace says "While I would love to stay and continue this lovefest, Carrick, I think we should leave Christian and Ana to discuss this new information together."

Carrick pulls some files from the briefcase he had brought with him. "Christian, here are the files I received at the time of your adoption, as well as the information I have gathered over the years. It is yours to do with as you wish." Carrick leaves them on the coffee table. Grace and Carrick shake hands with John Flynn and then kiss Christian and Ana good night before leaving.

Christian sits down on a nearby sofa, pulling Ana down to sit on his lap. "John, are you up for a session now, or should we book a time in your office for tomorrow?"

John Flynn looks at the tear stained faces of Christian and Ana. He had found himself getting teary-eyed during the past hour when Carrick Grey revealed long kept secret information about Christian's biological mother and her parents, following by Christian's reactions.

"I think we have momentum going, so if you are comfortable discussing things now, I have no objection to staying." Flynn tells Christian. "Do you want it in private, or a couple session?"

Christian keeps his arms around Ana, who is sitting in his lap. She snuggles closer to his chest. "Ana and I are in this together. I want her here. No I NEED her here." Christian answers.

"Okay then." Flynn says. "Christian, I'm sure you know that Ana called me earlier today asking me to be here this evening when your parents dropped their bombshell. She was concerned how you would react to whatever it was that your adoptive father had kept secret, even from his own wife, all these years." Christian nods. "I must say that you have surprised me with your immediate reactions. What are your thoughts and feelings to this new information?"

Christian runs a hand over Ana's hip and raises the other hand to run through his hair. Always a sign of his agitation. "I'm not sure. Both the information from Edna Reynolds this morning and now Dad's information are mind boggling and will take a while to fully absorb. My initial thought is that Ella wasn't totally responsible for not being to protect her young son. And maybe I've been wrong to blame all of my fifty shades of fuckedupness on the crack whore." Ana caresses her husband's chest as she can feel the tension in him.

"Christian. For a number of years, you had a certain lifestyle and used the crack whore as justification for your need to control everything in your life and inflicting punishment on those who defied you." Flynn says. Flynn puts up his hand when he sees Christian about to speak. "Yes, I know Ana, and your children, have had a very calming effect on you these past ten years. But you have to admit that you blame anything bad in your life on your biological mother. You're now saying that maybe she wasn't the one at fault. Who are you now going to blame whenever anything goes wrong?"

Christian draws a deep breath. "I have to admit, I don't know. I haven't really had time to digest all this new information. From what I've learned today, Ella's father was very demanding and controlling. Even with my fuckedupness and need to control everything around me, I can't envision disowning any of my daughters if they became pregnant in their teens. Nor can I see myself turning my back on the child from that pregnancy a few years later if the child became orphaned." As he's talking, he draws Ana closer to him. She caresses his cheek. He closes his eyes and draws in a breath. When he opens his eyes, he kisses the top of Ana's head.

"Ana, is there anything you want to say at this point?" Flynn asks Ana.

"Today has been very earth shattering. As Christian has said, we have just learned that maybe there were extenuating circumstances that forced Ella into becoming a drug addicted prostitute, unable to care for her young son. I guess it remains to be seen how Christian and I deal with these new revelations." She turns to look at Christian and says "Baby, you know that I'm here for you, as always." Christian nods yes and gives her a quick kiss on the lips.

Flynn says "Well. I think we've discussed as much as we can this evening. I know it's been a lot to absorb and not everything has sunk in yet. As you know, I'm just a phone call away." He stands up and prepares to leave.

Christian and Ana stand. Christian shakes hands with Flynn. Ana hugs Flynn and with a quick smile at Christian, kissed Flynn on the cheek. "Thank you for everything John. I'm glad you were able to be with us this evening." Ana escorts Flynn to the door.

When Ana returns to the great room and finds Christian sitting back on the couch with his eyes closed. She snuggles up to him on the couch. He opens his eyes and pulls her close. "Oh Ana, I'm so glad you're here with me. I don't know if I would have been able to get through all of these revelations without you. Thank you for taking control this afternoon and contacting Mom and Flynn."

Ana draws Christian's mouth to hers for a deep kiss. "I'm glad you haven't had to go through all of this on your own. I'm here for you too. You can talk to me about anything. Don't hold anything back like you used to, thinking that you were protecting me from evil things. As your wife, anything that happens to you happens to me."

"Yes Wife." Christian says with a smirk. "So when are you and Mom going to Michigan?"

Ana laughs. "Oh Husband, you know me so well." She gives Christian a quick kiss. "We haven't had a chance to discuss our schedules. And Jason hasn't given me a report yet. I thought we would start with your grandmother, Margaret White. From the sounds of it, your grandfather Frederick Reynolds Senior won't be too welcoming." Ana leans back from Christian and looks him in the eye. "You're going to busy tomorrow investigating a certain car dealership, aren't you?"

Christian laughs and draws Ana to him for a quick kiss. "You know me so well, don't you?"


	11. Chapter 11

"Grace, thank you for coming with me." Ana tells her Mother-in-law. "He won't admit it, but Christian is scared and would rather not pursue this than face rejection. However, I think it is crucial that a connection is made with Margaret White. If Elizabeth Reynolds is correct, this Margaret White is Christian's biological grandmother. I am hoping that she will be able to give some insight into what Ella was like before she became a drug addictive prostitute."

The two women are on the GEH plane which is taxing down the runway at Sea-Tac enroute to Detroit. They will be meeting Elizabeth Reynolds in Detroit. Ana had met Elizabeth a couple of weeks earlier at the WSU graduation ceremony. Elizabeth had fainted when she was introduced to Christian Grey. Not because she was overcome by his good looks, but because of his resemblance to the boyfriend of her late twin sister when they were teenagers.

"Ana, I feel the same as you do. I have always wanted to be able to find out more information about Christian's biological parents. I hope that circumstances beyond her control that had led Ella to the life she had and her bad parenting wasn't because she rejected or didn't love her baby Christian." Grace responds.

Ana smiles. "Yes, I'm hoping that Christian will be able to put more of his demons to rest. But I also have to be prepared that it could trigger other demons." When Grace looks questioningly at her, Ana explains. "Christian has lived most of his life with such hatred for his biological mother. It has controlled his entire life. It molded him into the rebellious teenager you had to deal with and gave him the drive to become the billionaire he is today."

Grace smiles. "Ana, please don't sell yourself short. Christian was only a shell before you came into his life. You were able to knock down the walls he had built around himself and allowed himself to welcome the love, and more importantly, the touch, of his family. You took him from his dark side into the light." Grace wipes tears from her eyes. "I'll never forget the day that Christian pulled me into his arms for a hug for the first time."

"Yes, I remember that day. We were all crying, even Christian." Ana is wiping tears from her face. She smiles as she reminisces. "It took me quite some time to get Christian to permit me to touch him on his chest." She giggles at a certain memory. "One day, he handed me a tube of red lipstick and guided my hand to create a no-touch zone on his body." Grace laughs. "Even then, I could always feel him flinch when I would touch him anywhere near the forbidden area. By the time Teddy was born, he was more open to being touched. After getting over his initial fear the first time he held Teddy to his chest, Christian seemed to thrive on holding the children close to his chest."

Grace smiles at the image of her troubled son being such a loving father. "Yes, Christian is a very loving and hands-on father. Next to you, the children are the best thing that has happened to Christian."

"You're wrong Grace. The best thing for Christian was being adopted by you and Carrick. Even if he tried to resist it, you provided a very loving and safe environment for him to grow up. Even though he held you all at arm's length, he still participated in your life. He didn't cut you all out of his life completely." Ana giggles. "Of course, with a sister like Mia that would have been very difficult to do."

Grace smiles as she remembers how Mia had been able to get closer to Christian than anyone else in the family. The smile disappears as other thoughts come into Grace's memories. "The best thing I did may have been bringing Christian home from the hospital that night. But the worst was allowing him to do yard work one summer for the Lincolns. I can't believe neither Carrick nor I ever realized what that woman had been doing to my baby. And the gall she had all those years to maintain her friendship with me. Ana, I can never apologize enough for what agony she put you through those first few months before she showed her true self at Christian's birthday party."

Ana looks at her mother-in-law. "I've tried to put that behind me. I still am sick that she seduced an underage Christian. Okay, I'd be sick if she seduced Christian at any age. Unfortunately, I have to acknowledge that she is responsible for Christian getting control of his anger, drinking, fighting and concentrate on his education. And she was his original financial backer. Without any of that, he probably would not have become the man I fell in love with." Ana was not prepared to tell Grace about the sadistic/masochistic methods Elena used on Christian or the lifestyle Christian led prior to meeting Ana.

When the plane landed, the women exited the plane along with Sawyer and Ryan. Sawyer escorted the women to a limousine waiting for them on the tarmac and joined them in the passenger section. After overseeing the transfer of luggage to the vehicle, Ryan got in the front passenger seat. The limousine pulled up to the Arrivals area of the airport and Ryan stepped out and headed into the terminal. About ten minutes later, he exited the building followed by Elizabeth Reynolds. Sawyer stepped out of the limousine and held the door open for Elizabeth while Reynolds stored her luggage in the trunk. The men returned to their seats in the vehicle and the driver headed to the Detroit Marriott Hotel.

"It is good to see you again." Ana says to Elizabeth. "Elizabeth, this is my Mother-in-Law Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey. Grace, this is Elizabeth Reynolds, Christian's aunt." Grace and Elizabeth exchange greetings. "Thank you Elizabeth for coming to Detroit to meet with us and introduce us to Margaret White."

"Ana, I'm glad to help." Elizabeth says. "I still can't believe that a chance meeting with you and your husband at my son's graduation is able to finally give me some answers as to what happened to my twin sister. I have been in communication with Mrs. White and she is anxious to meet with us."

"I am forever in your debt Elizabeth. I have always hoped that Christian would be able to learn more about his mother to be able to put her in a better light than the memories as a four year old boy have left him with."

They arrive at the hotel and are escorted to their suites after checking in. They agreed to meet in an hour to go to Margaret White's apartment. As soon as Ana is in her suite, she pulls her iPad out of her bag to video call home. She smiles when Christian's face appears on her screen.

"Hi Baby. I miss you." Christian says. Before Ana has a chance to return the sentiment, she hears "We miss you too Mom." from several young voices. Ana smiles as several heads pop up on the screen.

"I miss you all too. I'll be home tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have a surprise for you all." Ana says. The children's eyes light up and ask what the surprise would be. "Now, if I told you then it wouldn't be a surprise, would it?" Ana asks the children.

"Ana. Don't get your hopes up." Christian warns her. "Just bring yourself and Mom back home. All I need for a complete life are you and the children."

"I have to go to get ready for my meeting." Ana tells her family. "Love you Teddy, Phoebe, Carrick, Christiana, Jason and Sawyer. Give Daddy kisses for me."

"Bye Mom. I love you too." Each of the children say. They each give Christian a kiss before heading off to resume their playing.

"I love you Christian. Please don't be upset with me for meeting with Margaret White. I really do think she will be able to provide information on what Ella's life was like before she got involved with her pimp."

"I love you too Ana. I just don't want you to be disappointed. I want you back here in my arms." Christian says.

"Hmm.. that sounds like a good position. At least to start!" Ana says as she winks at Christian. She then rolls her eyes before biting her lip.

Christian moans "Woman. You are evil. You know what biting your lip does to me. And I can't do anything about it right now. But rest assured I'll get my retribution tomorrow."

"I'm counting on it, _Sir_." Ana whispers seductively. She blows him a kiss. "I love you Christian. I'd love to continue this line of discussion, but I do need to get ready for my meeting."

"Love you too Mrs. Grey. Laters Baby." Christian says before disconnecting the call.

The limousine pulls up in front of an apartment in a run down neighborhood. Ryan and Sawyer step out of the vehicle to open the door for the women. Both men are constantly scanning the area with their eyes. Ryan stays with the vehicle while Sawyer accompanies the women into the apartment building. There is no security system or elevator, so the group proceed up the stairs to the third floor apartment. Sawyer knocks on the door for 308. After a few minutes, the door is open by an elderly woman with snow white hair. The woman's grey eyes light up. "Elizabeth. So nice to see you after so many years. Please come in."

"Thank you Mrs. White." Elizabeth says as she gives the woman a hug. She turns to the other two women. "Mrs. White, this is Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey, her daughter-in-law Ana Grey and their security Luke Sawyer." Margaret shakes hands with everyone.

"Please sit down." Margaret says as they enter the apartment. "May I get anyone something to drink? I have a pot of coffee on, but I can make tea or something cold." Elizabeth and Grace agree to coffee while Ana and Sawyer ask for water.

The women settle down in the small living room while Sawyer stands by the door. Ana breaks the silence by saying "Mrs. White, Elizabeth has told us that your son Bobby ran away with her twin sister Ella in late 1982 after they discovered she was pregnant and was disowned by her father." Margaret nods. "We believe that Ella's baby is my husband, Christian Grey." Ana opens the file folder she has been carrying and pulls out a family picture, provided by Grace, showing a teenage Christian.

"Oh my God!" Margaret exclaims. "That looks just like Bobby when he was fourteen." She wipes tears from her eyes. When Ana pulls another picture from the folder of an older Christian holding a baby Teddy, the tears flow down Margaret's face. "I have a picture of Bobby holding their baby and it looks almost like this picture." She gets up and walks over to a cupboard and pulls out a photo album. She sits on the couch beside Ana to show her the album.

As she turns the pages, Ana's eyes tear up and flow down her cheeks. The album is full of pictures showing the life of a young boy. If she did not know better, it could have been Christian at his happiest. The last picture is very similar to the one she had just shown Margaret. She runs her hands over the photo. She is looking at an infant Christian, long before he became fifty shades of fuckedupness. There is another picture of the infant Christian being held by his mother Ella. Ana chokes up as Ella appears so much like herself that the picture looks as if Ana is holding newborn Teddy. Another picture is of both Bobby and Ella holding Christian. She hands the album to Grace who is soon in tears as well. Ana asks Margaret "Is it okay if I scan some of these photos?" When Margaret nods her agreement, Ana pulls a portable scanner out of her bag and starts scanning the photos.

Ana looks at Margaret and says through her tears. "So Bobby was still alive when Christian was born? Elizabeth has told us some details about Bobby and Ella after they came to Detroit, but would you tell us about that time?"

Margaret takes hold of Ana's hand and begins her story. When Frederick Reynolds found out that his daughter Ella was pregnant and her son Bobby was the father, he kicked his daughter out and fired her as the family housekeeper. Without parental approval, Ella and Bobby were unable to get married. Margaret was soon able to get a position as a live-in housekeeper for a family in Detroit and Bobby and Ella had to find their own apartment. Bobby got a job as a dishwasher at a restaurant and Ella was hired as a hostess at the same restaurant. The young couple was ecstatic when Ella gave birth to their son on June 15, 1983. Ella was still in the hospital when Margaret had to leave town with her employers for a Mediterranean cruise before spending the rest of the summer at their home in the south of France. As there had been no way of communicating with her, Margaret had not been informed of Bobby's death by a hit and run driver. When Margaret had returned to Detroit with her employers in the fall, she was devastated that Bobby and Ella seemed to have disappeared. Margaret went to the police and discovered her son's death, but the police had no information on the whereabouts of Ella. Records showed that Ella had identified the body, but was unable to pay for burial. Margaret filed a missing person's report but it became a cold case and she eventually stopped contacting the police. The only information the police had ever been able to provide was that Ella had been evicted from her apartment when she was unable to pay her rent. The landlord had no interest in knowing where Ella went when she left the apartment.

By the time Margaret finishes her story, the women are all in tears. Ana wraps her arms around Margaret. She is reluctant to tell Margaret the little that she knows of what became of Ella and her baby, but knows she must. If Ana wants Christian to get closure of his mother, Margaret must be told the truth.

Ana tries to compose herself to give Margaret the few details she knows. At some point Ella became addicted to drugs and became a prostitute. No one knows whether the prostitution was to support the drug habit, or if Ella had become a prostitute for money and her pimp got her addicted. Through her tears, Ana told Margaret that despite her lifestyle, Ella managed to keep her child with her. Ana had to admit to Margaret that the toddler Christian was more a parent to Ella than she was to him. Margaret nodded at that and said that Ella had never had to do anything for herself and during their short time together, Bobby had taken care of everything. Ana took hold of Margaret's hands and continued with the story of Christian's young life and the physical abuse he endured at the hands of his mother's pimp. Both women were sobbing when Ana told Margaret that a four year old Christian tried to protect his mother for several days after she had died of an overdose.

At this point, a tearful Grace continued the story of how the police brought the young Christian to the hospital while she was on duty. She explained to Margaret that she and her husband decided to adopt Christian and how the authorities reported that they had been unable to locate any relatives. Grace looked apologetically to Elizabeth before saying that her husband Carrick had only recently revealed the secret that the authorities had located Ella's father Frederick Reynolds who assured the authorities that he wanted nothing to do with his disowned daughter's son. Elizabeth's lips thinned but agreed that that sounded like something her father would have done.

In an attempt to lighten the atmosphere, Ana gave Margaret a brief summary of Christian's life since she had met him: how they initially met, their marriage just a few months later and their unexpectedly pregnancy with Teddy early in their marriage. Ana smiled as she proceeded to tell Margaret about the rest of the children and how doting Christian is with all of the children. As any proud mother, Ana then pulled out her iPad to show Margaret pictures of the children.

"Oh my!" Margaret exclaimed. "I can see either you or Christian, or both, in each of the children." Ana and Grace look at each other and laugh.

"I'm always telling Christian that our genes are battling each other in the children." Ana giggles. "With each child, there seems to be more of me. Maybe eventually we will have a mini-Ana."

Grace coughs on her coffee. "Ana, are you saying that, even after six children, you and Christian are still planning on more children? Something you want to tell me?"

Ana smiles serenely and shrugs. "No. Just that neither one of us have so far been prepared to do something permanent. As you know, our use of various birth control methods has never worked 100%."

Ana turns to Margaret and says "I had hoped that Christian would have accompanied his mother and me on this trip to meet you. He claimed that there was some important deal coming up that prevented him from coming at this time. But I think his insecurity and fear of rejection played a big part in his decision. Not that he thought that you would reject him as your grandson, but that the facts wouldn't hold true." Ana takes Margaret's hand in hers. "Now that I have seen your photos of Bobby and Ella with their infant son Christian, I have no doubt that my Christian is your grandson."

Tears have returned to Margaret's eyes. "And seeing your photos I have no doubt as well." She smiles at Ana "And to think that Bobby's son married a girl that looks just like his Ella. Like father, like son." Ana's smile is bittersweet thinking of Christian's history of brunettes and the reason for his attraction.

Grace looks at Ana who nods her approval. "Margaret, I would like to invite you to come and visit us in Seattle. With six children under the age of ten, Ana and Christian's house can be a bit of a circus sometimes. It would be quieter if you stayed at my house as there is only Carrick and myself. We are planning on flying back tomorrow. Is there anything that would prevent you from travelling with us?"

Margaret gasps at the invitation. "No, I don't have any appointment in the immediate future. I can have a neighbor keep an eye on the apartment and water my plants." She looks a bit apprehensive. She turns to Ana and asks "Are you sure? You said that Christian wasn't sure about meeting me. I don't want to be forced on him."

Ana smiles and pats Margaret on the arm. "Don't worry about Christian. I have my ways. Besides, with you staying at Grace and Carrick's it will give Christian some space and I know he will eventually come around. And at least you will be able to meet your great-grandchildren."

"I'm looking forward to it." Margaret says as she hugs Ana. "I can't believe after all these years, that I will finally see my grandson again and meet his children."

Ana invites Margaret to join the other women for dinner, but Margaret declines saying that she has much to do if she's going to Seattle the following day. The women say their good-byes to Margaret and leave to return to their hotel.


	12. Chapter 12

Back in her suite, Ana picks up her iPad to initiate a video call with Christian. "I miss you Christian. How are you and the kids?" Ana asks as soon as Christian appears on her screen.

"You look gorgeous Baby! The kids are fine. I miss you too and can't wait for you to get back tomorrow. They've kept me going all day. I'm exhausted." Christian's smile belies his words about the children. Ana knows he will have thoroughly enjoyed himself playing with the children. Her theory is that Christian is finally having the childhood he missed out on due to his traumatic early years.

Ana giggles. "Mr. Grey, you have unending stamina. I'm sure you've exhausted the children. What are your plans for the rest of the day with our rugrats?"

Ana laughs when Christian looks sheepish. "I let Phoebe talk me into letting them have an indoor camp out in the games room. We're going to make s'mores in the fireplace and have an all-night marathon of movies." Christian pouts. "Our bed is too empty when you're not in it with me, so I figured I might as well fall asleep surrounded by our children." Christian shakes his head. "_Your_ daughter Phoebe. She'll be the life of me, just like her mother. When she's older, I better hire her for Grey Enterprises. Otherwise, she'll likely create her own empire and buy me out."

Ana laughs. "She is definitely _your_ daughter Christian. In looks, personality and tenacity. Except for being female, I don't think she has any of me at all."

Christian closed his eyes as he growled. "I best resurrect my plans to send her to a convent until she's thirty. If I wasn't so anti-gun, I'd have Ray teach me how to shoot." Christian smirks and says "Fortunately for me, Ray didn't see the need to practice those skills on me when I started courting you."

"COURTING?" Ana asked with a gasp. "What an old fashioned word. You are showing your age Mr. Grey. They say memory is the first thing to go. _Stalking_ is a better description of the beginning of our relationship."

Christian pouts again and says "Once I accepted I wanted 'more' with you and you kept resisting saying 'yes' to my statement that we should marry, I did court you. I even gave you flowers to go with my heart the night I got down on my knee to officially propose."

"You say courting, I say seducing." Ana counters. "But whatever it was, I'm glad you did it and I'm glad I succumbed to your charms."

"How did your visit with Margaret White go?" Christian asked. Ana can tell from Christian's tone of voice that he wants to believe we will find out about his past, but is afraid of the ramifications.

"Christian, I really do believe Margaret White is your grandmother. She was able to fill in more details than Elizabeth Reynolds was able to give us last month." Ana feels her eyes tearing up again. "Baby, she showed us a photo album of Bobby's childhood. It was as if I'd been looking at pictures of Teddy and Grace said it was like looking at your childhood."

Christian runs his hands through his copper hair. "Does she know why or when Ella started doing tricks and taking drugs rather than looking after he young son?"

"No. Margaret had gone to Europe with her employer just days after you were born. When she returned to Detroit at the end of summer, Bobby was dead and Ella had disappeared with you. Margaret went to the police, but they were not very helpful and she didn't have the resources to pursue it."

Both Christian and Ana hear Phoebe's voice in the distance. "Dad! The movie is about to start. You promised you would watch _all_ the movies with us."

Christian picks up his iPad and walks towards the games room, keeping the video connection with Ana. When he enters the room, he turns the screen around to face the children and Ana shouts out "Hi everyone! I wish I was there to watch the movies with you. Please keep Daddy company for me, okay?"

Christian laughs when all the children meekly responds with "Yes Mom." Teddy demonstrates that he takes his responsibility as eldest sibling seriously and says "We've kept Dad busy all day Mom. It's been fun. But we all miss you. Come home soon."

Ana is fighting back tears again as she says "Yes, Teddy. I will be home late tomorrow afternoon. I better go to get ready for dinner. Bye kids. Enjoy your indoor camp out."

"Bye Mom." The children shout.

"I love you Mrs. Grey." Christian says.

"I love you too Mr. Grey." Ana says. "Laters Baby."

The following morning, the women are once again the limousine heading to Margaret White's apartment before heading to the airport. Margaret is overwhelmed when Ryan escorted her from her apartment downstairs to the waiting vehicle. She was wide eyed when she realized she would be travelling in a limousine. Ana had been waiting beside the vehicle and recognized her wariness. Ana smiled and hugged the elderly woman. She whispered "It's okay. Trust me. It does take some getting used to."

Before getting into the vehicle, Ana looks at Sawyer and says "You've given the directions to the driver?" Sawyer nods.

After several minutes, Elizabeth looks out the window and says "This isn't the route to the airport."

Ana smiles warily and says "No, we're making a brief stop first." Ana refused to elaborate.

A few minutes later, the limousine passes through the gates of a cemetery. The vehicle winds its way through the laneways before coming to a stop. Nearby, there is an open grave and a couple of people standing around.

As the women get out of the vehicle, Grace gasps. She recognizes the headstone by the open grave. After she and Carrick had decided to adopt Christian, they had arranged for a headstone for Ella's grave. She turned to look at Ana with a raised eyebrow.

Ana stands in front of Margaret and takes her hands. "Margaret, my people were been able to determine where Bobby had been buried in an unmarked grave. I have taken the liberty to have him exhumed to that he can be buried with Ella. I'm sorry for not preparing you for this and I understand if you want to stay in the car. If you are up to it, we can now bury Bobby beside Ella so that they are together for eternity."

Margaret's tears are flowing down her face. She hugs Ana and says "Thank you Ana. This means so much to me. I have lived for almost forty years not knowing exactly where Bobby had been buried." Ana takes Margaret by the hand and walks her up to the graveside. With a nod from Ana, the waiting clergyman and funeral director begin the graveside service.

Sawyer and Ryan approach the group of women with flowers. There are two bouquets as well as two long stem roses for each of the women to place on the graves.

When the women return to the waiting limousine, a tearful Elizabeth hugs both Grace and Ana. "Thank you Grace for having arranged for Ella's burial all those years ago. And thank you Ana for arranging for Bobby to be buried with her."

At the airport, the limousine pulls up to the Departure level to drop off Elizabeth. Ana gets out of the vehicle to say her good-bye. The women hug. "Elizabeth, you and Richard must come and visit Christian and me in Seattle. Now that James is working at Grey Enterprises, you have the perfect excuse to come to Seattle."

"I'll need to check our schedules. But yes, Richard and I definitely want to visit James. He's my baby and I miss him." Elizabeth says. Elizabeth heads into the terminal for her flight back home to Chicago. Ana returns to the limousine which heads to the tarmac where the GEH jet is waiting.

Margaret's eyes widen when she realizes she will be flying on a private jet. "You own the plane, Ana?"

"Well, technically Christian's company, Grey Enterprises Holdings, is the owner." Ana says sheepishly. Even after ten years, she is still overwhelmed and, at times, embarrassed at the excessive wealth of her husband. "For security reasons, Christian finds it better to fly privately rather than commercially." Ana giggles and adds "Besides it better suits his control issues. He isn't restricted to airline schedules and cancellations. And I would pity the airport security person who would dare subject Christian to a full body search." Grace smiles at that image.

Once on board, Grace gives Margaret a tour of the plane while Ana catches up on her emails and phone calls. The women pass the time of the flight telling Margaret stories of their children. Grace did not shy away from revealing the trials of tribulations of raising a troubled Christian, but refrained from telling the woman about Christian being sexually violated at the age of fifteen. Ana confessed to Margaret Christian's initial fear when she informed him that she was pregnant with Teddy, but quickly assured her that once he got over the shock, he was thrilled to become a father. Once Teddy was born, Christian has been a wonderful, loving father and has continued to be as their family has increased.

When the jet taxied to the terminal at Sea-Tac, the Grey limousine was waiting on the tarmac. Ana's heart leaped when she saw that Christian was one of the men waiting by the car. She bit her lower lip in apprehension. She had not told Christian that Margaret White was coming to Seattle and she was leery how he will react.

As soon as the door to the jet opened, she ran down the stairs to the tarmac. Christian met her half way. He put his hands on her waist to pick her up and swing her around before putting her back on her feet and bending her over as he kissed her deeply. "Fuck Ana, I've missed you. I know it's only been a day, but I hate not being with you."

"I've missed you too Christian." Ana whispers as she caresses his face. She pulls his mouth down to hers for a quick kiss. "Come, your mother and I have a surprise for you." She says hesitantly as she takes his hand and walks back to the stairs.

Christian realizes that there is another woman standing beside her mother at the foot of the stairs. He looks at Ana and she sees the fear in his eyes. "Ana." He says through gritted teeth.

Grace steps forward to hug and kiss her son. She also sees the fear in his eyes. She whispers "Christian, behave. It will be alright." She takes his hand and turns to Margaret.

"Christian, I would like to introduce you to your Grandmother, Margaret White. She will be staying with Carrick and me for a few days."

Both Ana and Grace gives a sigh of relief when Christian steps away from his mother and embraces Margaret. "Welcome to Seattle." Both women notice that Christian refrained from saying 'Grandmother.'

Ana and Grace kept conversation going during the ride to Grace's house. Christian sat back in his seat and only participated in conversation when asked a direct question and responded with monosyllable answers. Ana knew Christian was pissed that she had not consulted him about bringing Margaret White to Seattle. '_Too bad. Grace invited her to stay with her and Christian has to understand that his Mother can invite anyone she wants into her own home.'_ Ana tells herself. She just hopes that he's able to restrain his temper and not go thermonuclear in front of Margaret.

Christian is a polite, well-mannered gentleman, when Grace and Margaret exit the limousine. When Grace hugs her son good-bye, she whispers "Don't be angry. We did this because we love you. Ana has more to tell you." Christian pulls back and looks inquiringly at his mother. "Ana wants to tell you."

As soon as the limousine pulls away from Grace's house, Christian turns to Ana. "Okay, Ana. What the fuck have you been up to?" he hisses.

Ana pulls out her iPad from her bag. "I was waiting until we were home before I showed you this. But you can just calm down and view this with an open mind." She says through gritted teeth. She pulls up a picture on the screen and thrusts the iPad into Christian's hands. Christian looks at her in amazement. He hasn't seen her this angry at him for quite some time. "Look at the fucking pictures." Ana demands.

Christian looks down at the tablet in his hands. He sees a picture of a new born Teddy wrapped in a hospital blanket. He slides to the next picture as sees himself holding Teddy. The next picture is Ana holding the baby and another of Teddy breast feeding for the first time. The next picture is of the family. In all the pictures, he and Ana are glowing with love for their newborn son. Christian looks up at Ana with a confused look on his face. "What has Teddy's baby pictures got to do with your trip to Detroit?"

Ana gives an overdramatic sigh. "Go to the next picture and look really close."

Christian does as instructed. He gasps and drops the iPad into his lap. The picture is of the newborn baby with his eyes wide open staring into the camera. It is not Teddy's blue eyes staring at Christian. The eyes are grey. Christian realizes he is staring at a picture of himself. He looks at Ana in amazement.

Ana smiles. "Yes, my darling stubborn husband. The pictures are of you and your parents _glowing with love for their new born son._" She undoes her seat belt to climb into Christian's lap. "Now will you be civil to Margaret White. She is definitely your grandmother." Ana wipes at the tears starting to form in her eyes. "Margaret took these pictures the day you were born. The next day she had had to leave town for Europe with her employer. Bobby was killed a few days after these pictures were taken, but Margaret was not aware of that until she returned to Detroit in the fall. By that time, Ella had disappeared with you and Margaret never had the resources to pursue the search further when the police gave up on the missing person search." Ana caresses her husband's cheek. "These pictures and her memories are all that she has of you and Ella."

Christian can barely breath. "I can't believe it. They look so happy and loving. What happened?" He whispers. He looks into Ana's eyes – gray eyes gazing into blue. "Does this mean that all my fuckedupness hasn't been because I was unloved?"

Ana runs her hands through Christian's copper hair. "Well, we still don't know why Ella disappeared with you. Or when or where." Ana leans over and kisses him on his lips. "Clearly in those pictures you were most definitely loved. If Bobby hadn't been killed, I'm sure you would have grown up secure with the love of your parents. When she lost Bobby, Ella would have had no one to turn to. I suspect that some low-life must have taken her under his/her wing and got her involved with drugs and prostitution."

Christian closes his eyes briefly and when the re-open, Ana can see the pain in them. "There would have been shelters or homes she could have gone to. She didn't have to risk her life and that of her son."

Ana continues to try to comfort her Fifty. "From what I've learned from both Elizabeth and Margaret, Ella was very immature, never having to do everything for herself. There had always been someone around to do things for her. Suddenly she has a new born child and within days her partner is killed and his mother is unavailable. And she wasn't welcomed at her parents' home." Ana cups Christian's face in her hands. "Despite how bad things were, Ella kept her baby with her. Maybe if she'd been less selfish, she would have turned you over to a shelter or agency, but she didn't and we will likely never know her reasonings. Speaking as a mother, if I had lost you within days of Teddy's birth, I would have clinged to him like crazy. He would have been my only way of keeping a piece of you."

Christian wraps his arms around Ana to pull her tighter to his chest. He rubs his nose against hers. "Ana, you continue to bring the light into my dark life. I've said it many times, but I am so thankful that Kate got sick and you interviewed me instead." As his lips capture hers in a deep kiss, he runs his hands over her body. Ana gasps and Christian slips his tongue into her mouth to explore and his tongue battles with her tongue. When their mouths break apart, they are both breathing heavy. They smile as they realize the car has stopped and they are home.


	13. Chapter 13

Ana looks at Christian with concern on her face. Christian, Ana and their children are enroute to the home of Carrick and Grace for dinner with Margaret White. They will also be introducing the children to their newly discovered great-grandmother. Christian has been giving Ana the cold shoulder treatment since Ana and his mother returned to Seattle with Margaret earlier in the day. Ana is relieved that Christian reached for her hand and has kept a firm grip on it since they left their home to go to his parents.

During the afternoon she had continued to push him to accept Margaret White as his grandmother. After realizing that the picture of a baby in the arms of loving parents was him with his biological parents, Christian, although reluctant, was willing to look through the photo albums Ana had received from Margaret. The album covered the short life of Margaret's son Bobby – Christian's biological father. The last few pages of the album included pictures of Bobby's girl friend, Ella Reynolds. Christian found it difficult to accept that the happy young teenager in the pictures was his crack whore mother. The pictures of Bobby and Ella showed a young, carefree couple very much in love despite their young years. In addition to the picture that Ana had shown Christian on her iPad, there were several others showing new born Christian, either alone or in the arms of Bobby, Ella and Margaret.

After looking through the albums several times, Christian had set them aside and headed to his study without saying a word to Ana. Ana resisted the temptation to follow him. She accepted that he needed space to digest the new revelations. His entire outlook on life had been based on his belief that he was unwanted by his biological family. It is now a shock to learn that he had been born into a very loving family and fate had created the situation that was the root of Christian's nightmares and anger.

A short time before the family needed to leave for dinner, Christian emerged from his study and called Ana and the children into the family room. Christian and Ana sat together on a sofa and the children on the floor in front of them. Ana explained to the children that they had recently discovered more information about their father's birth and his biological family. She and Grandma Grace had just returned from visiting their father's grandmother, who has come to Seattle to meet her grandson and great-grandchildren. Ana tried to answer the children's questions the best she could.

Ana showed the children the photo albums. All the children thought that the pictures of Bobby as a child where Teddy and the family pictures of Bobby and Ella with baby Christian were Christian and Ana with Teddy.

As soon as the limousine pulls up in front of the home of Carrick and Grace Grey, the front door is opened and Grace comes running out to greet her grandchildren. Sawyer barely has time to open the passenger door of the vehicle before Teddy and Phoebe rush out to hug and kiss their grandmother. Carrick Junior and Christiana do the same as soon as Christian and Ana release their seat belts. By the time Christian and Ana exit the vehicle with Jason and Lucas, Carrick Senior has joined the melee and is hugging and kissing his grandchildren. As soon as Jason and Lucas are out of their parents' arms, they toddle over to do the same.

Grace detaches herself from her grandchildren to walk over to Christian. She looks at him and sees the fear of rejection in his eyes. The same look he had for years when he came into her life. The fear really only left once Ana was in his life. Without saying a word, Grace pulls Christian into her arms and is rewarded with him wrapping his arms around her. This was something that she had been unable to do when he was younger. His fear of being touched was worse than his fear of rejection. It was only with the love of Ana and the children that he finally was able to allow people to touch him.

Grace whispers "It's okay Christian. Margaret is not going to reject you. She wants to get to know you and make up for all the lost years. She's afraid that you will reject her. It wasn't for lack of trying that she had been unable to locate Ella and you after Bobby's death. Please talk to her." Christian wraps his arms tighter around Grace as he begins sobbing. Ana stands beside Christian and rubs her hand on his back trying to provide comfort as well. Carrick takes the children into the house as he is sure that Christian would not want his children to see him in this condition.

After several minutes, Christian lifts his head off his mother's shoulder and steps out of her arms. He reaches into a pocket of his jeans for his monogrammed handkerchief to wipe his eyes. "I'm sorry Mother. I shouldn't have broken down like that. What must you think of me?" Christian asks.

Grace reaches up to run her fingers through her son's copper tresses. "Christian, I think you are human. I know you've always tried not to be human, but you are as human as the rest of us. We realize the sudden existence of your biological grandmother and to finally learn some of the history of your parents is overwhelming. But I hope now that you have evidence that you were born into a loving family to parents who obviously adored you, you will be able to come to terms with it."

Christian puts his arm around Ana's waist to draw her to his side. He kisses the top of her head. Christian closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He opens his eyes and says "Okay, I'll talk to Margaret. But after dinner when we have more time." He wraps his free arm around Grace's waist and the three head indoors.

Once inside, they follow the sounds of the children. When they enter the living room they find the children talking to Margaret White. "I hope they aren't bothering you Margaret." Ana says.

"Not at all Ana. They are delightful." Margaret says. "They've been telling me stories about themselves and family." She smiles at the young faces staring at her and looks back at Ana and Christian. "I can certainly see either your or Christian's looks in them all." Margaret gets misty eyed and whispers "Or Bobby and Ella."

"Don't cry." Christiana says as she sits beside Margaret and hugs her. Margaret hugs her back.

"Ana, I was waiting for you to do the introductions." Carrick Senior tells his daughter-in-law.

Ana lifts Christiana up to take her seat on the sofa beside Margaret and positions Christiana on her lap. "Children, this is Margaret White. She is your Daddy's Grandmother, which would make her your Great-Grandmother." Ana takes Margaret's hand and introduces each of the children to her.

"I thought Daddy's Grandmother was Grandma Grace's mother?" Christiana questioned with a perplexed look on her face. "And Grandma Grace's father is Daddy's Grandfather."

Ana hugs Christiana to her and answers "Yes, they are. But people can have more than one grandmother. You have Grandma Grace, who is Daddy's mother, and Grandma Carla, who is my mother." Christiana still has a puzzled look on her face. "Remember that Daddy was adopted by Grandma Grace and Grandpa Carrick when he was very young?" Christiana nods. "Margaret is the mother of Daddy's birth father, so that makes her your Grandma Margaret."

Christiana smiles in understanding. She crawls from Ana's lap to Margaret's lap and reaches her arms up to wrap around Margaret's neck. "Welcome Grandma." She says and gives Margaret a kiss on the cheek. Margaret hugs her back and wipes a tear from her eye. Ana and Grace are also wiping tears from their eyes.

Christiana looks at Margaret and then at Christian before looking back at Margaret. "Where have you been? Why haven't I seen you before?" she asks Margaret.

Margaret looks to Ana for advice on what to say. Ana nods to indicate that Margaret can give as much information she thinks is appropriate. "Well, honey. Your Daddy had been adopted by the Greys because his birth mommy and daddy had both died and I had previously lost touch with them, so no one had been able to locate me. Just a few weeks ago, your Mommy and Daddy met someone who knew my son Bobby and thought your Daddy was him because they look alike. After they talked, they thought that Bobby was likely your Daddy's Daddy and your Mommy got my name and address. Then your Mommy and Grandma Grace came to visit me in Detroit and invited me back here for a visit and meet you all."

Christiana smiles. "I'm glad you did. Are you going to stay?" she asks.

Margaret looks again to Ana for advice. Ana gives Christian a quick glance before answering. "Christiana, it's probably too soon for Margaret to make such a decision. She has a life in Detroit and the only people she knows in Seattle are us and she has only met us."

"I hope she does stay." Christiana says as she snuggles closer to Margaret.

Grace sees Christian running his hands through his hair. "I believe dinner is ready. Let's all go into the Dining Room." Christian gives a sigh of relief and walks Jason and Lucas to the family dining table. While he gets Jason settled into a booster seat, Ana does the same with Lucas. Christian and Ana take their seats beside them. Ana secretly smiles to herself when she sees Christiana leading Margaret to the table hand in hand.

Christian is pleased that all of his children eat everything on their plates without any arguments. As the dessert plates were being cleared by the housekeeper, Teddy and Phoebe offer to help. When they return from the kitchen, Teddy asks "Grandma, may Phoebe and I please be excused from the table? We want to play a game of chess."

Grace smiles at her oldest grandchild. "Yes, Teddy. You and Phoebe may be excused." Teddy and Phoebe head to the Family Room where a chess board resides on a games table. Grace exchanges a smile with her husband, Carrick. They each know the other has the same thought: what a delight to have a houseful of children playing peacefully with one another. There were many difficult times raising their children due to Christian's temper and fear to be touched.

Ana and Christian wipe the faces of Jason and Lucas clean and lift them down from their booster seats. "Carrick and Christiana, would you please take your brothers to the family room to play? Don't interfere with the chess game going on." Ana asks her oldest twins.

"Sure Mom." Carrick says as he holds out his hands for Jason and Lucas. Christiana gives Margaret a hug before following her brothers to the family room.

Margaret turns to Christian and Ana. "Christian and Ana, you have such delightful children. And so well behaved. I'm impressed with their manners, especially at the dinner table."

Before Christian has an opportunity to respond, Ana says "Thank you Margaret. If it was up to me, dinner time would likely be bedlam, but Christian has always been a very hands-on father and insisted on rules from day one." She leans over to give Christian a quick kiss on the cheek. She giggles and says "Always Mr. Control."

Christian smirks as he raises his hand to caress Ana's cheek with his finger. "I try, but around you my dear wife, I often have no control." Ana blushes.

Margaret looks at Christian and says "Well Christian. Do you have any questions for me?"

"Yes. As a matter of fact I do." Christian says. He turns to Carrick and asks "Dad, may we use your study? I don't want us to be interrupted by any of the children."

"Of course Son." Carrick says.

Christian stands up and gives Ana's arm a squeeze as he leans down to kiss the top of her head. She pats his arm and looks at him questioningly. He shakes his head in response. Christian goes behind Margaret's chair to pull it out for her. As she starts to stand up, he gives her his hand for assistance. He leads her to Carrick's study.


	14. Chapter 14

Christian ushers Margaret White into his father's study and shuts the door. He motions for her to have a seat in front of the desk as he walks behind the desk to sit in his father's chair. "_All the times I've been in here during my teenage years and I've never sat on this side of the desk. I've always been on the other side for the reprimand." _Christian thinks to himself.

Christian looks at Margaret and is surprised that she appears very calm and not nervous. "How much of my life history has my mother or wife told you?"

Margaret looks Christian in the eye – grey eyes staring into grey. "Grace told me about the night she was working in the Emergency Room and the police arrived with a very malnourished four year old boy, covered in cigarette burns and other scars, they had found in an apartment huddled against his mother who had been dead for several days."

When Christian made no effort to interrupt her, she continued. "Grace told me how her heart immediately out went to the little boy who wouldn't speak and couldn't tolerate anyone touching him. She decided on the spot that she and Carrick would adopt the young boy. The adoption was delayed while authorities attempted to track down any living family members. They were finally permitted to proceed with the adoption when the authorities reported that no family members could be found. Grace also told me that Carrick only recently revealed to her, as well as to you and Ana, that authorities had located the maternal grandfather, Frederick Reynolds, who had refused to take any responsibility."

Margaret's grey eyes tear up as she looks across the desk at Christian. "_I_ was _never_ contacted. I would have gladly taken responsibility of you. I don't know why the authorities were unable to locate me. I have to assume that they were as disinterested as the police who worked on the case when I filed a missing person report when Ella disappeared with you. I guess a poor working class housekeeper is a low priority."

Christian was still not saying anything, but Margaret could see signs that he was restraining himself. She had already noticed his habit of running his hands through his copper hair. She smiled to herself as her son Bobby had had the same habit. She thought it best to not inform him of that similarity – at least not right now.

"Grace has also told me of the challenges she and Carrick faced raising you. How you only started to talk after Mia was brought into the family. How rebellious you were during your teenage years: drinking, fighting, expelled from several schools. She also told me that at the age of fifteen you had suddenly seemed to get your life under control and concentrated on your education and was eventually accepted at Harvard." Margaret looked Christian in the eye and continued "She also told me that the catalysis for the change in your behavior was the seduction by a family friend, although she had not been aware of that for a number of years."

Christian is still silent. "Grace repeatedly emphasized that despite you constantly trying to keep people away from you, you showed signs of love and affection through your generosity as you became richer as well as participating in family functions and events, however reluctantly." Margaret smiles as she continues "Grace told me that it wasn't until Ana was in your life that you were finally willing to accept that you deserved to be loved."

Christian smiles at the mention of Ana and their love for one another. "Yes, Ana brought light into my dark life."

"Both Ana and Grace have told me that you are a loving and caring father to your children and uncle to your nieces and nephews." Margaret says. When she see Christian's hesitant look, she adds "Yes, Ana told me about your initial reaction when she told you she was pregnant with Teddy. But she assured me that you quickly changed your view and were very supportive during her pregnancy. She also told me how you have continued to conqueror your fear of being touched."

Christian smirks and says "Why wouldn't someone be reluctant to become a parent when his own start in life was no negative and loveless."

Margaret jumps up in anger and shouts "Your start in life was NOT loveless. You have to believe me when I say that Bobby and Ella were very much in love and they certainly loved you when you were born. I had never seen Bobby, or Ella, as happy as they were the day you were born."

Seeing Christian about to stand up, Margaret shakes her finger at him. "No, you stay put and listen to me. I'm sorry I don't know what happened to change Ella after Bobby was killed, but the Ella I knew loved Bobby and loved YOU. And neither one of them were drug addicts." She took a deep breath and continued "I assume Ana told you that I had left Detroit a couple of days after your birth. My job required me to accompany my employers to Europe for the summer. When I returned in the fall, they were gone from their apartment and I had no way of contacting them as their phone was disconnected. I was at a loss at what to do, except to go to the police and file a missing person report. That was when I found out that Bobby had been killed in a hit and run accident. The driver was never found. The police were never able to locate Ella or you. But I'm sure a seventeen year old single mother and her baby was not a high priority for the police, despite my constant hounding. I couldn't afford a private investigator."

Margaret walks around the desk to take Christian's hands in hers. "Christian, I am sorry that I gave up and didn't somehow come up with the money to hire an investigator or be more forceful with the police. We will probably never know how or when Ella turned to prostitution and drugs." Margaret runs a hand through her hair. "I can only speculate that Ella was devastated when Bobby was killed and she turned to drugs to ease the pain. And then prostitution to support her habit."

Margaret grips Christian's hands tighter and looks him in the eye. "The fact that she managed to keep you with her for four years, despite everything, shows that she loved you."

"Yea right." Christian says bitterly. "She loved me so much that she let her pimp use me as an ashtray? Not ensuring that her child had food?"

"Don't forget that Ella was very young herself. She grew up in a wealthy family, with a very controlling father, and never had to do anything for herself. I was the family housekeeper, but there were also maids and Ella and her sister Elizabeth had a nanny until they became teenagers. When she ran away from her parents' home, Bobby did everything for her as she had no idea how to cook or clean. When Bobby was no longer available, Ella would have been unprepared to take care of herself, let alone a new born baby."

Margaret wipes at the tears that have formed in her eyes. "I will regret to the day I die that I left the country with my employer just days after you were born. If I had still been in Detroit, Bobby may have still been in the wrong place at the wrong time and been killed by that car. But I would have been on site to have taken care of Ella and you in Bobby's absence. And Ella wouldn't have fallen prey to the low life that got her hooked on drugs and into prostitution."

As she spoke, her anger increased. Still gripping Christian's arms, she says forcefully "Don't shut me out for the biggest regret in my life. Please let me try to make it up to you."

Christian glares at her and says "And just how does one make up for the years of starvation, neglect, abuse and lack of affection? Just because I managed to overcome the poverty, doesn't entitle you to an easy ride. Nor is it my responsibility to absolve you of any guilt you have for not being there for Ella or me."

Margaret gasps at the venom in Christian's voice. Through the tears she shouts "I don't want your FUCKING money. My last employer pensioned me off quite well and I've invested a fair bit so I have a comfortable income for my meager needs." She stumbles back to her chair and flops down into it. Between sobs she says "When Elizabeth Reynolds contacted me about meeting you, I thought it was too good to be true. I didn't give a DAMN that you were Christian Grey, multi-billionaire. My only thought was that my grandson was finally found and hoped to be able to make contact with him before I died. I looked forward to meeting you and your family. When Ana and Grace came to see me in Detroit, I enjoyed hearing their stories of you growing up, meeting Ana and starting a family of your own. I also cherished the fact that I could talk to people who appreciated my stories of Bobby growing up, meeting Ella and the birth of their child and taking a trip down memory lane showing them my photo albums."

Margaret stands up and starts to head to the door, but turns back to Christian and says "Good night _Mr. Grey_. I'm sorry I've taken up so much of your precious time. I'll make the necessary arrangements to return home to Detroit as soon as possible tomorrow." As she is about to open the door, the door is opened and Ana and Grace enter the home.

Grace's eyes travel between Margaret and Christian. Grace wraps her arms around Margaret. Ana says "What the fuck is going on? We could hear the shouting in the living room. Christian! What did you do to cause Margaret's tears?"

Christian is running both hands through his hair. Ana goes over to Christian to try to sooth the savage beast. He grabs her arm and pulls her into his lap. She lifts one hand up to stroke his cheek. "Baby, please tell me what's wrong."

Christian draws her closer and as he breathes in her scent, he can feel himself calming down now that Ana is in his arms. "Oh, Ana. It's so overwhelming."

Ana continues to stroke his cheek. "I know it must be very difficult for you. But don't take it out on Margaret. Neither one of you can change what happened in the past. Circumstances prevented her being in your life until now. Accept that fate has intervened and enjoy the fact that you two have finally been brought back together."

Christian kisses Ana on her cheek. He is calm once again, or at least as calm as Christian Grey can be. He sets Ana onto her feet and stands to go over to Margaret. Grace releases her arms from around Margaret but keeps a watchful eye on Christian.

Christian draws a deep breath before releasing it in a sigh. "Margaret, please forgive me for my words and tone." He runs his hands through his hair. "It is just so overwhelming to hear such a different take on my past than I've always had. And I'm sorry that you felt that I was accusing you of being after my money. Deep down I know you're not, but it is a normal reaction when strangers come into my life out of the blue." He looks across to Ana and smiles "Ana being the exception – as usual."

"Apology accepted, Christian." Margaret says. She gasps when Christian bends down and gives her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Christian takes her by the hand and walks her back to her chair. "Margaret, please tell me about Bobby and Ella." Christian returns to the chair behind the desk and Ana and Grace both take seats on the couch.

Margaret smiles as she starts reminiscing about your son's childhood. "Teddy reminds me of Bobby at the same age, not just in appearance but mannerisms. I see them in you too Christian. Bobby was the typical boy from Detroit – playing baseball in the summertime and hockey in the wintertime. He did well in school, but was never at the top of his grade and seemed to get along with everyone. He was only ten when my husband died of cancer and I got a job as the live-in housekeeper for the Reynolds family and life got difficult for him. Mr. Reynolds was very strict and controlling, so Bobby was very limited in what he could do around the house. When outdoors, he spent a lot of time at the nearby park and when he had to be indoors, he spent a lot of reading in our small quarters."

She smiled as memories overtook her. "Ella was the one spot of sunshine in Bobby's life from the day we moved into the Reynolds home. It was rare that Mr. Reynolds permitted his children to have contact with Bobby. Freddie Junior was older and out of the house most of the time, but the twin girls, Ella and Elizabeth were only a year young than Bobby. The girls went to a private school, so the only contact they had with Bobby was at home and even then Mr. Reynolds was most insistent that Bobby knew his place. Bobby and Ella were quite besotted with each other and would spend as much time as possible with each other when her father wasn't around. I wasn't aware that they were having sex until they informed me that Ella was pregnant. I knew Mr. Reynolds would explode. For the first time in her life, Ella stood up to her father and refused to have an abortion. He went ahead and booked an appointment for an abortion and that was when Ella ran away and Bobby followed her. Mr. Reynolds went ballistic and fired me."

Margaret's eyes tear up with the memories. "Within a few weeks I had found another live-in housekeeper position, but I was able to keep in touch with Bobby and Ella. They had a small apartment in Detroit and Bobby had gotten a job as a dishwasher at a high end restaurant and Ella worked there as a hostess until she had to stop working due to her pregnancy. They were so much in love and looking forward to the birth of their baby. Ella had difficulty adapting to living in a small, rundown apartment and knew absolutely nothing about keeping house and very little about cooking. But she was trying to learn."

Margaret looks at Christian. "They were ecstatic the day you were born. I was hesitant about leaving the country with my employer a few days later but both of them encouraged me to go and we would see one another when I returned in the fall." Tears begin to fall down Margaret's face. "Unfortunately when I returned to Detroit a few months later, someone else was living in their apartment and no one knew of a forwarding address. People at the restaurant were of no help either. Most of the staff had changed and the few that were still there didn't know what had happened to Bobby; just that he hadn't shown up for work one day. I went to the police to file missing person reports."

Margaret wipes at her tears. "That's when I found out that Bobby was dead. Killed by a hit and run driver. The police had no more leads on the case and it didn't seem to be a high priority for them. They did the paper work for the missing person reports for you and Ella, but I knew from their attitude that it would be a low priority as well. I went to a private investigator, but wasn't able to afford it."

"I was devastated. I hadn't wanted to leave Bobby and Ella and my newborn grandson, but both Bobby and Ella convinced me that it may be my only opportunity on seeing Europe. I returned from a summer in Europe and find my family has vanished into thin air. I've had to live with my thoughts that if only I hadn't left Detroit, Bobby would still be alive and living a happy family life. Instead, I spent the last thirty-eight years alone."

Christian gets up from his chair and walks around to squat in front of Margaret. He pulls out one of his monogrammed handkerchiefs and gives to her. As she wipes at her tears, Christian leans his arms on the arms of Margaret's chair. "I will see if Welch, one of my security men, can dig up anything from the police files." Christian stands up and pulls Margaret from the chair and wraps his arms around her. "We'll try to get answers to your decades old questions, Grandmother."


	15. Chapter 15

Ana slowly wakes up. As usual she is overheated as her back is pulled tight to Christian's front with his arms wrapped around her and one leg thrown over hers. She smiles as she knows this means that Christian had slept through the night with no nightmares.

Ana shivers as Christian's lips raining kisses on her neck. "Good. Morning. Mrs. Grey." Christian says between kisses. "I. Am. glad. You. Are. Finally. Awake." He continues.

"How did you know I was awake?" Ana asks breathlessly.

"I've been laying here watching you and enjoying laying here with you in my arms. I could feel your body shifting as you woke up." Christian said. His hand is drawing circles over Ana's bare skin. He groans as Ana wiggles her ass against his growing erection. Ana smiles, enjoying her husband's quick reaction to her presence.

Ana turns around in her husband's arms. She lifts her arms to caress Christian's face. "Happy Birthday Mr. Grey." She says before bringing his mouth down to hers. Her tongue runs over Christian's lips before thrusting it into his open mouth to battle with his tongue. They are both breathless when their mouths part.

Christian starts a trail of kisses from Ana's mouth to her right ear and down her neck. At the same time, his right hand is fondling her left breast. Ana gasps as he squeezes her breast. She can feel his lips form a smile as they continue to kiss her neck and continue on down to her right breast. As his lips pull her right nipple into his mouth, the thumb of his right hand flicks her left nipple before pinching it between two fingers. Ana moans. The fingers of Christian's right hand run a trail from her breast down her stomach and over her left hip before heading to the apex between her legs. Ana instinctively spreads her legs to give him better access. Christian's mouth smirks as his lips move over to her left breast. He inserts a finger and then a second into her sex. "Always so ready for me Baby." He says as Ana continues to moan.

"Yes, Christian." Ana shouts as his fingers pump in and out of her.

She moans as Christian removes his fingers. "No, don't yet, Ana." They lock eyes as he inserts his wet fingers into his mouth to suck them clean. "Hmm…Ana, my favorite appetizer for breakfast." As grey eyes continue to stare into blue, their eyes glaze over. Christian moves to position himself between Ana's legs. He pushes her knees apart and starts to kiss her inner thighs. "Now for my main course." He says seductively. As Christian's tongue starts to lick at her clitoris, Ana lifts her lower body off the bed to bring it closer to Christian. Christian chuckles as Ana grips his hair to push his face even closer and keep it in place. Christian inserts his fingers back into her vagina as his tongue continues to play with her clitoris. Ana starts to moan once again and each moan gets louder. "Yes, Baby, come for me. Come." Christian demands as he continues his motions.

"CHRISTIAN! OH CHRISTIAN!" Ana shouts as her orgasm overwhelms her. Christian's mouth continues as Ana's screams subside, only to start up again as Christian brings her to the edge of another orgasm. "OH FUCK CHRISTIAN! You're going to be the death of me." Ana can feel the curve of Christian's mouth against her bare skin. "OHHHHHH! CHRISTIAN!" Ana yells as she is once again overwhelmed in wave of ecstasy.

After licking Ana clean, Christian pulls his mouth away from Ana's vagina to trail kisses up her body to her mouth. Once they are face to face again, Christian runs his tongue over Ana's lips before plunging it into her open mouth. Ana moans as she tastes herself on his lips and tongue. They are once again both breathless when their mouths part.

Christian pulls Ana into his arms as they lay side by side enjoying the moment. "Mr. Grey, it is _your_ birthday, not mine. I should be giving you the mind blowing orgasms, not the other way around." Ana says breathlessly to her husband.

"Oh Ana. Watching you come is one of the best birthday gifts I could have. Knowing that I am the only one you have every given such a gift pleases me immensely and seeing how responsive you are makes it even better." Christian says. He reaches around to swat her on her ass. "We better get a move on. The children will likely soon be up and may come pounding on the door."

Ana smiles as she pulls away from Christian's arms and gets out of bed. "Thankfully we have a strong lock on the door and have taught the children to knock and wait for permission before entering. But I'm sure they will all be anxious to see their Daddy on his birthday." Ana giggles before adding "But they don't need to see him in his Birthday Suit, even though it is a very enjoyable sight in all its glory."

She laughs as she runs into the bathroom, quickly followed by Christian. She screeches as he grabs her around the waist. Christian laughs as he pulls Ana into the shower with him. As the water pours over them, Ana wraps her hands around the back of Christian head to pull his mouth down to hers for another breath taking kiss. They continue kissing as their hands run over the other's body. Christian backs Ana up against the wall and she wraps her legs around his waist. "Oh Fuck Ana. I can never get enough of you." Christian exclaims as he thrusts his cock into her vagina.

"Yes, Baby, fuck me. Fuck me hard." Ana shouts as Christian continues to pump in and out of her. She runs her hands through Christian's copper hair. She runs her hands over his shoulder, digging her nails into his back as she explodes in another orgasm. Her screams push Christian over the edge as well. After several minutes, their breathing returns to normal. They wash each other and exit the shower to dry off before returning the bedroom.

As they enter the bedroom, they hear a pounding on the door. "MOM! DAD! Open the door." Phoebe shouts.

Ana snickers as she whispers to Christian "She certainly takes after her father. Impatient and demanding."

Christian smirks and says "I don't think so. I'd be saying 'Open the fucking door.'" As Ana rolls her eyes, he adds "Don't get me going again woman. You know what that does to me." He groans as Ana laughs and bites her lip before taking a nightshirt out of her dresser drawer and pulling it on.

The pounding continues at the door. "Just a minute." Both Ana and Christian call out. Christian pulls on a pair of pajama pants. Once he is covered, Ana opens the door and quickly steps back as the children rush into the room.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!" the children shout out in chorus as they tackle their father so that he falls backwards onto the bed. They all climb on top of him for hugs and kisses. Ana quickly grabs her phone to snap pictures to capture the moment to send to Grace.

"We have presents for you, Daddy!" Christiana tells her father as she wraps her arms around Christian's neck.

Teddy runs back into the hallway before returning to the room with something behind his back. He smiles as he pulls the badly wrapped present from behind his back. "Here, Dad. This is from all of us." He says as he hands the parcel to Christian.

Christian face is beaming as he tears the paper away to find a fishing rod. "Thank you everyone. I'll have to take this with me the next time I take the boat _Anastasia Rose_ out."

"We're going today!" Carrick informs his father. "Uncle Elliott and Ava are coming with us too."

Christian looks at Ana who is lying on the bed beside him. "Oh? And when was this all arranged? What if I have an important meeting today at work? And you still have school."

Ana says "I checked with Andrea and you didn't have anything scheduled that couldn't be rescheduled."

Christiana exclaims "Daddy! Today is a holiday. For your birthday. It's 'Christian Grey Day'! Did you forget?"

Christian smiles as he says "I don't remember getting that memo. I would think I would have been informed of that. Who told you that?"

"Phoebe did." Christiana says. Ana rolls over on to her stomach to muffle her laughs into her pillow. "Mommy! Why are you crying?" Christiana asks.

"I don't think Mommy is crying." Christian says. "I think she is so overjoyed she is laughing." Christian turns to Phoebe and says in a forceful voice "Phoebe! Why would you tell your sister that my birthday is a holiday?"

Phoebe looks innocently at her father with her big grey eyes and says "Well, your birthday _should_ be a holiday. You are a very important person." Phoebe fists her hand and stands with them on her hips. "When I'm President, one of the first things that I will do is declare your birthday a national holiday."

Christian pulls Phoebe into his arms for a hug. "Oh Phoebe. I love you. If anyone could do that, I'm sure you would be the one."

Phoebe hugs back and says "I love you too Daddy. I just want your birthday to be a special day for everyone."

"It sounds like it will be a special day, Peanut. Why don't you all go downstairs to see what Mrs. Taylor is cooking for breakfast. Your mother and I will be down as soon as we get dressed." Christian tells the children.

As soon as the children scamper off, Christian turns to Ana. She is still laughing into her pillow. Christian leans over to give her a swat on her ass. He smirks when she squeals. "That Phoebe will be the death of me yet."

Ana giggles as she gets out of bed. "Geez. I wonder where she gets her need for making her own rules?" Ana says as she rolls her eyes.

"Behave woman, or we'll never get out of this room." Christian says.

"Yes Sir." Ana says with a cheeky smile as she gives her husband a quick kiss on the lips before rushing off to her closet. Once they are both dressed, Christian and Ana walk hand in hand downstairs to join their children for breakfast.

"Mom! You didn't give Dad your birthday present!" Teddy says when Christian and Ana enter the breakfast room. Ana blushes as Christian turns to look at her with a smirk on his face and raises his eyebrow.

"After breakfast." Ana says. Christian laughs when Ana says "Everyone eat their breakfast."

Awhile later, Christian makes a point of pushing his empty plate away from him. "Well, Mrs. Grey. I've eaten everything on my plate. Do I get my birthday present now?" he says with a gleam in his eye.

"I'll be right back." Ana says as she turns to leave the room. She returns a few minutes later and nervously hands Christian a wrapped box. "I hope this is okay. You're always encouraging me to spend _our_ money. So I decided this was the time to do it."

Christian takes the box from Ana as he says "_Our_ money. I love when you say that." He tears off the paper and opens the box. Inside the box is a roll of paper. He looks at Ana with a puzzled look on his face as he takes out the roll. Christian walks over to the breakfast bar which separates the kitchen from the breakfast room and unrolls the paper. "Floor plans? We're adding an addition onto the house?" he asks Ana.

"Only if you agree to the plans. Elliott is prepared to do the construction. They children are getting bigger and it won't be practical for them to continue to share rooms in a few years. We've talked about adding on more bedrooms." Ana explains. She bites her bottom lip as she continues "And on the ground floor is an apartment. For Margaret." Ana wrings her hands and continues "Grace and I have convinced Margaret to move to Seattle. She doesn't have anyone in Detroit. I thought it would be better for her to live here rather than on her own or in a senior's home."

Christian beams his mega-watt smile at Ana before grabbing her by the waist to swing her around. "That is fantastic! Oh Ana, this is a great present." He sets Ana back down onto her feet before cupping her face and bringing his mouth down to hers for a deep kiss. Ana runs her hands through Christian's hair, keeping his mouth on hers.

They are barely aware of the groans from the children. They continue kissing until they hear Elliott saying "How many times do I have to tell you to get a room?" Elliott laughs when Christian mouths "Fuck off" to him.


	16. Chapter 16

"Mia do you have everything set for Christian's birthday party?" Ana anxiously asks her sister-in-law.

"Of course I do. I _am_ a professional party-planner." Mia pouts to Ana. "I just wish you hadn't nixed my plans for the ice swans and the chocolate fountain."

"I don't think Christian is into of ice swans. It's a bit over the top for a birthday party for only family and close friends." Ana said. "And as for the chocolate fountain goes…there are too many young children around for the house to be safe from little chocolate fingers." She cuts Mia off as she was about to speak. "And no, it is not the place for Security to stand guard at a chocolate fountain. It was bad enough last summer when your Michael disappeared in the bubble bath you put into the fountain and had to be rescued. Ever since then, poor Reynolds had had to stand guard at the swimming pool during parties."

"You're no fun." Mia pouts. "How can one have a party without all the trappings?"

"Mia, you know your brother. He may be extravagant and over the top with things for people he loves, but for himself, he is very low key. Excluding of course, his expensive toys likes helicopters, sports cars, etc." Ana tries to console her sister-in-law.

"I know Ana." Mia says. "You have brought out the best in Christian. Before you came into his life, it was extremely difficult to get him to a party. If he went to any event, it would be work related and he would only make an appearance and leave as quickly as possible, even the family events at Mom and Dad's. And he certainly never invited anyone to his penthouse." Ana tried to hide her smirk from Mia at that comment, knowing the main reason why Christian would try to keep his family away from the penthouse.

"Thank you Mia." Ana says. "Being with Christian has brought out the best in me too. You just have to ask Kate how shy and backwards I used to be in college."

Mia looks at her watch. "Yikes. I better get moving. People will be arriving in a couple of hours. I still need to check a few things in the kitchen with Gail and the caterers and then I need to get myself ready. Thank you for lending me the use of the guest room to get ready here. Saves me time going home and back again." Mia giggles. "Poor Ethan, he'll be on his own to get our rug rats presentable and travel here."

Ana looks around the back yard of her home trying to check that everything is in place before Christian gets home. He took the day off from work and Ana was afraid that his presence would hinder the party planning that she and Mia needed to do. A quick call to Elliott was all it took for Elliott to take a day off work as well and convinced Christian to take him and the older children fishing on _Grace_. But they were due home shortly. Ana was also thankful that Christian was otherwise occupied and unaware that she had a doctor's appointment in the early afternoon.

Ana smiles to herself. Mia certainly knows how to plan a party. A large tent has been set up as protection in case of rain. Long tables are arranged to hold the buffet that the caterer's will be setting up under the watchful eye of Gail Taylor. Round tables are set up for people to sit to eat, but with sufficient room for movement to enable people to mingle. And at one end of the tent there is a stage with a projection screen. Ana's stomach does flip flops as she is worried how Christian will react to the slide show she will be showing to everyone. Off to the side of the large tent a smaller tent set up as a play area for the children. Although Ana stressed to Mia that it was not Security's role to stand guard over a chocolate fountain, there will be Security keeping an eye on the children. But then there always is Security guarding the children of Christian Grey. Ana sighs. She reluctantly accepted the need for security for herself after Jack Hyde had kidnapped Mia in an attempt to lure Ana to Mia's defense. Once Teddy was born, Ana understood Christian's need to ensure the safety of loved ones. Although life has been somewhat drama free for the past few years, Ana agrees with Christian that one cannot lower one's guard. As their family has increased, Christian has, surprisingly, become more laid back and allowed the children more freedom, albeit still with security.

Off in the distance, Ana hears the slamming of car doors and the shouts of the children. A big smile comes to Ana's face. Her Fifty is home along with their children. She runs towards the house, but before she reaches the patio, Carrick and Christiana are running from the patio across the grass to greet her. She opens her arms to catch them and falls backwards with them in her arms. Ana lies on the grass hugging her oldest twins. Before she can get up, Phoebe and Teddy join their siblings and hug their mother. Ana looks up and sees Christian standing over her and the children. Blue eyes lock onto grey eyes.

"Lucky children." Christian smirks.

"Laters Baby." Ana tells him. "I haven't forgotten it's your birthday."

"Oh gross, Mom." Phoebe says. Phoebe rolls her eyes when Ana tells her "Honey, someday you will understand."

Ana giggles when Christian says "Over my dead body."

Ana sits up, still holding the children to her as best she can. "So, how was the fishing? Did anyone catch anything? We have a lot of people coming for dinner and they will want something to eat."

Christiana starts crying. "Mommy, Grandpa, Daddy and Uncle Elliott caught several fish and Teddy and Phoebe each caught one. But I don't think that will be enough to feed everyone at the party."

Christian picks up his daughter and holds her close to his chest. "It's okay dear. I'm sure Aunt Mia and Mrs. Taylor have arranged for lots of food. I'm sure no one will go hungry." Christiana wraps her arms around her father's neck and her sobs quiet. Christian rubs her back to soothe her. "I'm sure Mommy was just joking. She was poking fun at me because I usually don't catch any fish, especially when Uncle Elliott is with me." He whispers to her "I think Uncle Elliott scares away the fish with all of his talking." Christiana giggles and nods in agreement.

Christian leans over to take Ana by the hand and pull her up to her feet. Unable to pull her into his arms because Christiana is still in his arms, he settles for a quick kiss from Ana. Christian wraps his free arm around Ana's waist. "Come, everyone. We need to get cleaned up from our day of fishing. Guests will soon be arriving.

The children's nanny, Mrs. Livingston, meets the family at the patio door. She takes Carrick and Christiana by the hand to take them upstairs to get ready. Jason and Lucas are still napping, but will soon be up and need to get dressed for the party. Phoebe and Teddy run on ahead to get cleaned up and changed as well.

As soon as they are alone, Christian pulls Ana into his arms to give her the deep, thorough kiss he hadn't been able to do outside. Ana's hands grip Christian's ass to pull him closer to her. Christian's hands grab Ana's ass and lifts her so that she wraps her legs around his waist. Their tongues battle for control and they are both breathless when they finally pull apart. "Bedroom." They both whisper at the same time. With Ana's legs still wrapped around his waist, Christian climbs the stairs to the second floor, heading to the master bedroom. Neither one sees where they are going as their eyes are locked – blue eyes staring into grey. But they do hear Phoebe's comment "Oh gross." Before she stomps off back into her bedroom.

Christian strides into the master bedroom and turns to close the doors. As soon as the door is closed, his lips claim Ana's once again as he backs her up against the wall beside the door. His hands run down Ana's back and over the cheeks of her ass and over her thighs. One hand runs back up her leg under her skirt and rips her panties off before sliding a finger into the folds of her sex. As a second finger joins the first, Christian smirks "Always so wet for me Mrs. Grey."

"Fuck me Birthday Boy." Ana says breathlessly. "Fuck me hard." Her hands are struggling with the waist of Christian's shorts.

"Your demand is my wish." Christian says. Christian pulls his shorts and boxers down and his rock hard cock springs free. "Hold on Baby. I want, I need you, so bad." Christian says as he thrusts into Ana. Ana moans as Christian pulls out and rams into her again and again until they both go over the edge. Ana drops her feet to the floor, but finds she needs Christian's support to stand. Christian laughs. "I may be a year older, but I still got it!"

"You bet." Ana says as she runs her hands over Christian's chest. "Do you want the shower first, or should I go first?"

With a gleam in his eyes, Christian grabs Ana by the waist and throws her over his shoulder. "Or we could shower together. You know, conserve water. Save the planet." He carries Ana into the bathroom and sets her down by the shower. He reaches in to turn the water on before turning back to Ana to undo the zipper of her sundress, letting it fall to the floor. Christian groans at the sight of Ana's bare breasts. His hands cup her breasts and his fingernails click over the erect nipples. Ana closes her eyes as she moans. Christian pulls his shirt off, throwing it to the floor before pulling Ana into the shower.

Ana reaches for the bottle of body wash and lathers Christian's chest. She grabs a cloth and wipes the suds from his chest before washing his legs. Christian moves Ana over to sit on the bench in the oversized shower. As Christian stands in front of her, Ana takes his cock in her hand. She leans forward to run her tongue up and down the length before wrapping her lips around it. Christian groans as his hands reach out to grab her head to control the motion of Ana's mouth. "Oh yeah Ana. I love when you let me fuck your mouth. You take me so deep." They lock eyes as Christian continues pumping his cock into Ana's mouth. "Oh yes, I'm coming Ana." Ana continues sucking until his final release and she swallows.

Christian pulls Ana off the bench and reaches for the body wash to lather Ana's body. Ana moans as Christian's hands run over her body. Christian turns Ana around to wash her back. After rinsing off the suds, Christian pulls Ana's back to his body. She gasps when she feels his cock growing hard. "Already, Mr. Grey. At your advanced years?" she questions.

"You've always made me hard, Baby." Christian says. He runs his hands over Ana's front. One hand fondles her breast while the other runs over her sex before inserting a finger into the folds. "And I always make you wet." He says with pride in his voice.

"That you do Baby." Ana says breathlessly. She grips strategically placed handles on the shower wall as Christian enters her from the rear. Christian's thumb is rubbing over Ana's clitoris as he continues thrusting his cock in and out of her vagina. "Oh God! Christian, I'm going to come!" Ana shouts.

"Yes, Ana. Come for me." Christian demands as he continues pumping. "Ana!" Christian shouts as he goes over the edge at the same time. Christian kisses the back of Ana's neck as their breathing returns to normal. Christian pulls out of Ana and she turns around in his arms. She reaches her arms up to pull Christian's mouth down to hers. She runs her tongue over his lips before sliding it into his mouth to explore his mouth and start a battle with his tongue. After several minutes, they are both breathless. When their mouths separate, Christian rubs his nose against Ana's. "Christ woman. You will be the life of me yet."

Ana runs her hands over Christian's body before cupping his cock in her hands. "Oh I think you'll be up for that challenge." Ana says before giggling and adding "At least for a few more years."

Christian laughs and swats Ana on the backside. "We better get dressed and head downstairs. Knowing some of our family members, they'll come looking for us if we don't soon put in an appearance."

As they step out of the shower and dry themselves off, Ana pulls Christian's to her once again for another kiss. "Happy Birthday Christian. I hope you will enjoy your party."

"I'm sure I will Ana, but I think it will pale to the private party we've just had." Christian says.


	17. Chapter 17

"Mia, you've done an excellent job with the party decorations." Christian tells his sister as he pulls her into his arms for a hug before giving her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, dear brother." Mia responds. She then pouts and adds "Ana nixed my plan for ice swans and a chocolate fountain. The children would have so enjoyed it."

Christian groans. "Yes, I can just imagine all those chocolate hands and faces running around. I'm glad Ana managed to stop you on that. And the same for the ice swans. It's just a simple birthday party, or at least as simple as a Grey party can be."

"What do you think of the buffet?" Mia asks Christian. "Gail and I spent a lot of time with the caterers trying to ensure there would be something for everyone."

"I'm just heading there now to get Grandma Margaret some food." Christian says with a beaming smile as he mentions his recently discovered biological grandmother.

Mia smiles. "I'm so happy for you Christian that you've made contact with her. From the pictures I've seen, you are the spitting image of your biological father, just as Teddy is the spitting image of you." She turns somber, very un-Mia like and adds "I'm just sorry that you both lost so many years before you were found for each other."

Christian gives his sister another kiss on the cheek. "Yes I am too. I do wonder what my life would have been like if fate hadn't separated us. But then I wouldn't have been adopted by Carrick and Grace Grey and I wouldn't have known you. Even worse, I may never have met Ana."

Mia giggles. "God forbid that. Although I'm sure the two of you would have met somehow. Go and enjoy your party Christian. I better check in with the Love of my Life and his spawn."

Christian heads to the buffet table and is amazed at the vast array of food. He fills two plates and heads to the table at the front of the room where his biological grandmother, Margaret White is sitting visiting with his adoptive grandparents, Theodore and Grace Trevelyn and his mother Grace Trevelyn-Grey. He sets the plates on the table and kisses Theodore and Grace before sitting down beside Margaret. He leans over to kiss her on the cheek. "Grandma Margaret, I got some food for you." He turns to his mother and says "Thanks Mom for making sure Grandfather and Grandmother got some dinner."

"Thank you Christian. I've been enjoying talking with your other grandparents. They've been telling me stories about your children. Teddy's antics sound so much like my Bobby when he was that age." Margaret tells her grandson.

Christian feels a tingling on the back of his neck and looks up as he turns around. Sure enough, Ana is walking across the room heading to their table. He smiles his mega-watt smile at her when he sees that she is carrying a plate of food. When she arrives at the table, she sets her plate down to wrap her arms around Christian's neck and kisses his copper hair. "Happy Birthday Darling. Are you having fun." She asks him as she sits in the chair beside him.

"Yes I am, especially now that you're here with me." He pouts. "I haven't seen much of you this evening since the guests started arriving."

"Well you know, being Hostess keeps me moving. And I was checking the children's play tent to make sure everything was okay there." Ana tells Christian. At his raised eyebrow she laughs. "Yes, our little Miss Phoebe has everyone under control." She giggles and adds "She is definitely a CEO in training. You better watch out Mr. Grey it won't be too many more years before she gives you a run for your job."

"That's my girl." Christian says proudly. "At least if she's focused on that her mind won't be on boys. Elliott's going to have a handful with Ava. Even at the age of seven she's flirting with boys." Ana rolls her eyes. Christian leans towards Ana and whispers in her ear "I saw that Mrs. Grey. My palm is twitching."

Ana giggles and whispers back "But it's supposed to be the birthday person that gets the spanking." Any further comments are stopped by Christian's tongue taking possession of Ana's mouth. They are both breathless several minutes later when they break apart.

"Oh my!" Margaret exclaims. "Are they always like this?" she asks the others at the table.

"Yes, they are. You'll get used to it." Theodore says with a twinkle in his eye. "We all love the change in Christian these past ten years since Ana came into his life."

Ana blushes and Christian smirks. "Eat up, Anastasia." Christian says to his wife. He leans over to whisper in her ear "You'll need the strength for later."

A few minutes later Ana excuses herself from the table. Before she leaves the table, she gives Christian a brief kiss and whispers "Just remember I love you."

As she turns to leave, Christian grabs her arm to stop her. "_What_ are you up to?" he questions with a hesitant look on his face. Ana smiles sweetly at him and heads to children's play tent, along with Mia. They return a few minutes later with the various children and shepherd them to sit on cushions on the dance floor area in front of the stage.

Ana returns to the table to sit beside Christian. She draws her chair closer to him to wrap her arm around him and lay her head on his shoulder. He kisses the top of her head. "If Mia's involved with this, I _know_ I should be scared." He says.

As the string quartet finishes a song, Mia starts speaking into a microphone. "Thank you everyone for coming this evening to help us celebrate the birthday of my brother Christian." After some applause, Mia continues "For those of you who have known the Grey family for many years, you know that Christian was a very different person from the man he is today. We have Ana to thank for that. Before he was adopted at the age of four by Carrick and Grace Grey he had a very troubled childhood which left him with a lot of demons to deal with. And despite the love we Greys wanted to give him, he always felt he was unworthy – until he met Anastasia Rose Steele. During the past ten years, Ana's unconditional love for Christian has encouraged him to put his demons to rest and embrace life." Mia giggles and continues "And with six children under the age of ten, he has certainly embraced life." The guests laugh, but Elliott's voice could still be heard shouting "And Ana too!" Ana blushes and Christian glares at Elliott across the room. Elliott smirks back at his younger brother.

"Elliott, behave." Mia reprimands her eldest brother. "At the beginning of their life together, Christian and Ana had to deal with some life threatening obstacles, but things seemed to have settled down for them. And they've settled into a comfortable life – at least as comfortable as possible with six children and several nieces and nephews. But Christian's past has recently come back to the forefront of his life. I'd like to call Ana up to explain further."

Ana gives Christian a quick kiss on his cheek before walking to the front to take the microphone from Mia. "I would like to also thank everyone for coming here to celebrate Christian's birthday. We have some special guests here this evening, but before I introduce them I need to tell you all a story." Ana smiles as she looks around the tent. "I apologize in advance if I get a bit teary eyed."

"This past month has been very dramatic for Christian and me." Ana tells the guests. "Prior to this year's graduation ceremony at WSU, I was interviewed for an article in the student newspaper. That itself was dramatic on its own because Christian and I met ten years ago when I interviewed him for the same newspaper. James Conner, the student who interviewed me, told me that I reminded him of his mother." The audience laughed softly. Ana smiled and said "Yes, I know…just the thing a thirty-two year old woman wants to hear from a twenty-one male college student. Anyway, a few weeks later at the graduation ceremony, James introduced me to both his parents Richard Conner and Elizabeth Reynolds. And yes, Elizabeth does look a lot like me…or at least like I hope to look like in a few years." She spots Elizabeth in the room and smiles "Sorry, Elizabeth. I know I was young when I had Teddy, but I'm not old enough to have a twenty-one year old son." The guests laugh again.

"That wasn't the shock. The shock was when I went to introduce Christian to Richard and Elizabeth and Elizabeth fainted." Ana smiles at Christian. "Now, I know most of you are well aware of the affect Christian Grey has on females, of any age, especially when he smiles his mega-watt smile. But _that_ wasn't why Elizabeth fainted. It turns out that Christian is the spitting image of Bobby White, the boyfriend of Elizabeth's twin sister Ella when they were teenagers. Bobby and Ella ran away when she became pregnant and disowned by her father. Because Bobby was the son of the Reynolds' family housekeeper, Margaret White, she was fired. As a teenager, Elizabeth didn't have the resources or means to keep in touch with her sister. Several years later, Elizabeth was able to track down Margaret and learned that Bobby had died in a car accident and Ella had disappeared during a time that Margaret was out of the country with her new employer. Margaret had never been able to locate Ella or learn what happened to the baby."

Ana heard several people gasping as they started to put the pieces together. "Yes, you are guessing correctly." Ana says as she smiles. As she was talking, Ana walked around the room to stand behind Christian. She puts a hand on his shoulder and says "Ella did give birth – on June 15 1983 in Detroit Michigan. To a son – Christian." By now Ana is fighting tears. Christian stands up to take her in his arms. He is fighting back tears as well. After embracing for a few minutes, Ana steps out of Christian's arms and walks over to another table. "Everyone, I would like to introduce you to Christian's Aunt Elizabeth, her husband Richard and son James." She motions for them to stand and everyone applauds.

As Ana walks back to Christian, she says "It gets better folks. Elizabeth had stayed in contact with Margaret White, so a couple of weeks ago my mother-in-law Grace Trevelyan-Grey and I visited her. She was able to give us some more details about the life of Christian's parents. We were able to convince her to visit us here in Seattle. Please, let me introduce you to Christian's Grandmother – Margaret White." Christian gives Margaret an arm to assist her to stand. Ana smiles and says "It gets even better folks. Margaret has photos!" Ana signals to someone off to the side and a picture appears on the screen at the back of the stage. "If people are wondering, this picture is _NOT_ Christian and me with new-born Teddy. The BABY is Christian! And the couple looking lovingly at him is his biological parents: Bobby White and Ella Reynolds." By now, many of the people in the audience are wiping at their eyes.

Christian hugs Margaret and pulls an emotional Ana into their embrace. The audience starts to clap.

Mia takes the microphone out of Ana's hand. "We all know that Christian Grey never does things the simple way and always goes over the top. So instead of one birthday cake, we have several." The audience laughs.

The quartet starts playing "Happy Birthday". The guests sing as cakes are wheeled out by Teddy and Jason, Phoebe and Lucas, Carrick and Christiana. With his arm around Ana, Christian beams at his children. He is so proud of his children. The ornament on each cake represent his favorite things: a helicopter like _Charlie Tango_, a boat like _Anastasia Rose_, a plane like the GEH corporate jet and marzipan figures representing Christian, Ana and their children.

Christian cuts the cakes while Mia and Ana put the pieces, along with ice cream, onto plates for Teddy, Phoebe and Ava to serve to the guests. Ana blushes when she sees Christian smirking at the scoops of vanilla ice cream on the plates.

Once everyone is served, Christian and Ana return to their seats to enjoy their own cake and ice cream. Ana leans over to Christian to whisper "Don't worry. I kept some vanilla ice cream back for later."

Christian captures Ana's mouth for a kiss. "Vanilla is still my favorite flavor…after Ana that is." He whispers.

When they have finished eating, Christian leans back in his chair and pulls Ana's chair closer so she can lean against his shoulder. He kisses her hair. "Thank you for coming into my life, Ana. I never looked forward to my birthdays until you came into my life." Ana kisses Christian.

"Mrs. Grey, may I have this dance?" Christian asks as the quartet begins _Witchcraft._ He stands and holds his hand out to Ana. She takes his hand as she stands. They walk to the dance floor and Christian pulls Ana into his arms. They glide around the floor as everyone watches. As the next song starts, Christian takes Phoebe to the dance floor and Ana Teddy. For the next song, Christian dances with Christiana while Ana dances with Carrick Jr. Teddy dances with Grace and Phoebe with her Carrick Sr. Soon the dance floor is full with people dancing.

Several songs later, Christian goes up onto the stage and picks up a microphone. "I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone for coming here this evening to celebrate my birthday with me and my family. Don't worry, I'm not kicking everyone out." He smiles and says "I just thought I should express my appreciation before people feel the effect of the bar."

"As Ana told everyone earlier, this year is extra special for me as I now have another grandmother to celebrate with me. And I have some answers as to my birth." Christian looks out over the crowd and easily spots Ana. "Ana, please join me up here."

When Ana joins Christian on the stage, he gives her a quick kiss on the lips. Christian looks back out into the crowd. "Mia, I would like to thank you for everything you've done organizing and setting up this party." He turns to Ana and says "Ana, I want to thank you for everything you've done this evening. This birthday party is almost as memorable as ten years ago when you agreed to be my wife."

Ana gasps as Christian bends down on one knee and she sees their children walking out onto the stage carrying bouquets of flowers.

Tears start to flow down Ana's face as Christian says "You told me ten years ago that you wanted hearts and flowers. You still have my heart. And here are more flowers. Anastasia Rose Steele Grey. I still love you. I want to continue to love, cherish and protect you for the rest of my life. Be mine. Always. Continue to share my life with me. Marry me again by renewing our vows."

"YES!" Ana shouts before she puts her hands on each side of Christian's face to pull him up to kiss him. Their guests cheer as Christian bends Ana backwards in a theatrical kiss.


	18. Chapter 18

"Grandpa Ray!" Teddy Grey shouts as he runs over to hug Ray Steele as he walks into the Grey Family private box at the Mariners baseball game at Grey Stadium. Ray was spending the weekend with Ana and her family. Ana had taken her step-father out for a private father/daughter brunch before joining the extended Grey family at the baseball game. It has become a family tradition for everyone to gather together for a baseball game on Father's Day. Ray has always been an avid Mariners' fan and has made a trip to visit Ana on that weekend.

"Teddy Ray! You're getting so big. If you get much bigger and I won't be able to pick you up anymore." Ray tells his eldest grandson.

Carrick Jr runs over to his grandfather with arms upraised. "You'll still be able to lift me Grandpa Ray."

With Teddy still in his arms, Ray reaches down and picks up Carrick. "Yes, Carrick, I will still have several more years to be able to do that."

Ana had followed her step-father into the room and heads directly to her husband to be enclosed in his arms. "Did the kids behave for you? Did you all miss me?" she asks.

Christian leans down to give her a big kiss and then swings her around in his arms. "You know I always miss you when you're not in sight. And of course the kids behaved…they wouldn't dare misbehave for Christian Grey, Father and CEO." Ana rolls her eyes. "I'm counting Mrs. Grey!" Christian whispers.

Ana runs her hands up her husband's chest. She loves the feel of his chest, but she does it because she can. It wasn't until Christian accepted her unwavering love that he was able to tolerate anyone, even his beloved Ana, to touch his chest which still bears the scars from the physical abuse he experienced as a toddler.

"Nice t-shirt Mr. Grey." Ana says. Christian is wearing the t-shirt he received at breakfast this morning from his children. Each year they give him a new shirt with their picture on it and the caption 'To the World's Greatest Dad!' and their signatures or handprints on the back.

"Thank you Mrs. Grey. I look forward to a new one each year. Besides the actual children, it is the best gift you could get me." Christian takes hold of Ana's arms and pulls them behind her, pulling her tight against him. He captures her mouth for a deep kiss. "Thank you Ana for stumbling into my life." Christian says as he runs a hand down the side of her body. Using his body as a privacy shield from the others in the room, Christian's hand continues to wonder over her breasts, rests briefly on her stomach before cupping her sex. "Laters, Baby." He says with a grin.

The door to the suite opens and the Elliott Grey family enters. "Ava!" Phoebe shouts and runs over to her cousin and the two girls hug. "Daddy says that we can sit in the outer seats! We just have to promise that we won't lean over the edge." Phoebe grabs Ava's hand and the two girls rush through the sliding glass door to the outer seats. Phoebe doesn't bat an eye when the girls are quickly followed by Cooper, Phoebe's security guard since she started school three years ago. He is just always there watching her.

Ana leaves Christian's side to rush over and takes baby Elliott from Kate's arms. "Oh let me see my little nephew!" Ana exclaims. "I love the onesie." She says when she sees the blue outfit on the infant which has _My Daddy says I love him best!_ embroidered on the front. Kate responds "Well it is Father's Day, so I thought it wouldn't look right for him to wear the Mommy one."

Christian walks over to help his brother Elliott unload the baby paraphernalia he had to tote upstairs from the parking garage. Christian grins as he says to his brother "Good thing we keep a lot of baby stuff here in the family suite and we don't need to lug up the heavy stuff every game."

Elliott laughs and says "Well, with Ana getting pregnant just about every time you look at her, there's been a steady stream of mini-Christians and mini-Anas joining the family. Kate and I have managed to use restraint and go for quality."

Christian glares at his brother. After Ana catches his eye, Christian manages to stop himself from pointing out that Elliott and Kate had been divorced for several years before reuniting and remarrying a couple of years ago. Instead, Christian responds "My children are quality too. Ana and I can't help it if we are just more potent." Christian finally relents from his mock glare, smirks and says "When you got it, you got it. And I certainly have it with Ana."

Elliott looks around. "Mom phoned to say that they'd got held up in traffic, but should soon be here. Mia and her crew not here yet?"

"Not yet. We still have a few minutes of peace before Mia arrives. I don't know how Ethan has managed to put up with her all these years." Christian says.

Elliott responds "Don't forget, he spent over twenty years in training as Kate's big brother before meeting our sister. And he has a doctorate in psychology. He did try to resist Mia for several years, but like everyone else he finally caved completely to the 'Force of Mia'." He cringes and says "Oh Damn. I hear them coming now."

The door bursts open and four young boisterous children run into the room followed by their parents Mia Grey-Kavanaugh and Ethan Kavanaugh. "We're here!" Mia announces. The children run over to the children's play area of the suite to join Christian and Ana's other children.

Christian goes over to the play area and squats down to be on eye level with the young children. "Please keep your voices down children. The adults want to talk and then watch the ball game." He says in his firm CEO voice. The eyes of the Kavanaugh children grow big. The Grey children know the voice.

"Yes Uncle Christian." "Yes Daddy." The kids says. The adults laugh as a hush goes through the room.

As Christian gets up off the floor, he sees his parents walk into the room, although with his Grandfather and Grandmother Trevelyan and his recently discovered Grandmother Margaret White. He goes over to give each of them a hug. He shakes his father's hand. "Happy Father's Day, Dad." He says to Carrick Sr. When he kisses his Mother, he sees that both of his parents are crying. "What's wrong?"

"Oh Christian! It is just such a delight to be able to hug you without you flinching and even better when you initiate the hug. Every day, I am thankful that Ana came into our lives and saved you from yourself." Grace says between tears. Ana quickly runs across the room to hug her in-laws.

"Great to see you again, Ray." Carrick Sr. says and walks over to shake hands with the other man. Looks like the Father-Son game is about to start on the field. The two men start to walk outside when they notice the monitors around the room suddenly come to life with a voice saying "Attention Trevelyan-Grey family! Some special announcements are about to begin."

"What the FU…" Christian starts to stay before he stops, realizing there are numerous little children with big ears within hearing distance.

"Oh hush Mr. CEO and just listen." Ana calls across the room as she and Kate settle Elliott Junior in the playpen. Ana and Kate then go to join their husbands sitting in club chairs to watch the big screen TV. Both Elliott and Christian pull their wives onto their laps.

On the monitor, the words 'For Theodore Trevelyan' appear. The screen then fades to black for a second before Grace and her mother appear on the screen. "Happy Father's Day, Father. With me being an only child, I'm sure you never thought your family would get so large. The love and values you instilled in me as done me well in surviving raising my children and giving advice to them as they raise their children." Grace goes over to her father to hug and kiss him. "I love you Father."

On the monitor, the screen goes black briefly before the words 'For Carrick Grey Senior' appear and then the image of Grace re-appears. "Happy Father's Day, Carrick. We may not have been able to conceive biological children, but we were lucky to adopt three of the most wonderful children that ever lived. I am so glad I was able to provide you with Elliott, Christian and Mia. You've been the best Father they could have ever had. Mia joins her Mother on camera. "Happy Father's Day, Dad. You have been the best father I could have wished for." She giggles as she adds "and the Best Grandfather for my little munchkins." The screen cuts to show Kate and Ana. "Happy Father's Day, Carrick." They say in unison. Kate continues to say "I am so happy that you welcomed me into your family and will always treasure that." Ana says "Carrick, I am also happy that you welcomed me into your family." She giggles as she adds "Not that Christian gave you a choice." She gets serious and says "I am glad that you two were able to resolve your differences of opinion on certain matters as both you and Christian would have missed out on a lot and our children their grandfather. I love you Carrick."

A teary-eyed Ana got off Christian's lap to go over to Carrick. He stood and enveloped her in a big hug. "I love you too Ana." He says. "And Yes, I'm glad I backed down from insisting on you and Christian sign a pre-nup agreement. Your continued love and support of Christian through all the years has proven he was right." After another hug, Ana returns to Christian's lap and they share a tender kiss. "I love you." Christian whispers as he rubs his hand over her stomach.

The monitor briefly fades to black before the words "For Ethan Kavanaugh" is displayed on the screen. Mia again appears on the screen surrounded by their children: 5 year old Grace Mia, 4 year old Michael Ethan, 3 year old Bella Bridget and 2 year old Edward Carrick. The children yell "We love you Daddy! Happy Father's Day." Mia looks into the camera and says "I love you Ethan. I am so glad Ana was too busy to do lunch with me that day and convinced you fill in for her." She pouts and says "I fell for you right away, but you dragged your heels for several years before you finally relented." Mia is sitting in Ethan's lap and he pulls her head around to give her a kiss. They laugh when Elliott calls across the room "He may have held out for 4 years, but you two have certainly made up for it. But Edward is 2, what happened last year?" Kate squats him on his arm.

The monitor again fades to black and then the words "For Elliott Grey" appears on the screen. Kate appears on the screen, sitting on a couch with 8 year old Ava who is holding her 1 year old brother Elliott Junior in her lap. "Happy Father's Day, Daddy" Ava says. "Lelliot would say it too, but he he's not talking real words yet." She picks up her brother's right hand and waves it at the camera. Kate hugs both children and looks into the camera and says "Elliott, I am proud to be the Mother of your children. I love you." She winks at the camera as says "Laters, Baby." Elliott hugs Kate and says "I love you too Kate". Kate turns and kisses her husband.

Once again the monitor fades to black and the words "For Christian Grey" appears on the screen. Christian rubs Ana's back and whispers "What should I expect?"

"Just watch" is all Ana says in response. Christian smiles like a proud father as the screen shows his six children standing in a line, even the two year old twins Jason and Lucas. He notices that the children are holding placards. Teddy holds up his sign and it says _Happy_. Phoebe holds up her sign to show _Father's_. Carrick and Christiana hold up a sign together that says "_Day_". Jason and Lucas try to hold up their sign. Although it was upside down, everyone can read "_Daddy_" on the sign. The adults all laugh. Christian is beaming.

The camera zooms in on just Teddy. He has turned his sign over to read "_Love from Teddy (May 2012)"._ The camera then pans along the line of children to show their signs: "_Phoebe (August 2014)", "Carrick & Christiana (November 2016)", "Jason & Lucas (March 2019)" _one at a time. Christian's eyes are glued to the monitor, but he is aware of Ana tensing up and wonders what is coming. The camera then cuts to a close up of Ana in a different outfit than she had on previously. It was obvious this was shot separately. The adults gasp. Christian's jaw drops and turns Ana to face him. "Really?" he asks. Ana isn't able to speak and can only nods in the affirmative. Christian looks at the monitor again to see his beautiful wife Ana, with a beaming smile, standing holding a sign reading "_and Lucky (February 2022)" _and rubbing her stomach and saying "We love you Mr. Grey".

Christian stands up with Ana still in his arms and sets her on her feet, only to grab her by her waist, lifts her and swings her around. "I'm going to be a Daddy – again!" he shouts. "Lucky number seven!" He sets Ana back onto her feet and runs his hands over her stomach. "When?" he whispers to Ana.

"Remember your statement when you carried me out of my office after I interviewed James Conner last month?" Ana asks Christian. At his questioning look, she reminds him in her best mimicking of CEO Christian Grey "_Let's go home and make a baby!_ Well Mr. Control Freak, we did it. Once again your sperm conquered my egg – on demand. Elliott is right – you just look at me and I get pregnant."

"Ana, are you okay with it?" Christian asks, beginning to worry with her statement. "I love the kids. I love seeing you pregnant, growing bigger each day with my children." He whispers "I love watching you breastfeed our children."

Ana raises her arms to run them through her husband's copper hair. "Darling, I _love_ being pregnant with your children. I love our family. You know I wanted a large family and we certainly don't have the financial concerns some couple face." Ana brings Christian's lips down to her and runs her tongue over them before Christian plunders his tongue into her mouth. Ana faintly hears Kate's laughingly saying "You've certainly gotten that Steele with seven children. Congratulations!"

When Christian and Ana come back down to earth, the adults are waiting their turn to hug them and offer the congratulations. After several minutes, Christian says "Enough with everyone feeling Ana's tummy. That's mine!" But no one takes him serious as he is laughing and is not going ballistic as he would have done at one time.

Teddy comes over to the group of adults to inform them that the baseball game is about to start. Still holding Ana's hand, Christian uses his other hand to take Teddy's hand and they head through the glass doors to the outside seats. When they take their seats, Christian keeps reaching over to caress Ana's stomach. Ana giggles each time. He isn't able to wipe the big grin off his face – not that he's trying.

"_FUCK! This is the best Father's Day yet_. _I'm going to be a Daddy again!"_ Christian thinks to himself. He is still holding Ana's hand and brings it up to his mouth to kiss her knuckles. Christian is already thinking of various things he can purchase to spoil the new member of the Grey family when s/he arrives.

At a break in play while the teams change sides, Christian takes Ana by the hand to go to the private box next door. Christian has two private boxes in the Stadium sponsored by his corporation. One for the Grey extended family and the other for Grey Enterprise Holdings, Incorporated for business entertaining. Today, the box is being used by Jason Taylor, the Grey family's Head of Security as he hosts a family Father's Day for his security staff.

Jason turns towards the door when he hears it open. He sees his employers, Christian and Anastasia Grey, beaming. He walks over to them and says to Christian "So _do _I need to start interviewing for another body guard?"

Christian beams his mega-watt smile and says "Yes. Lucky Grey is due around Valentine's Day."

Ana looks back and forth between the two men. Her blue eyes capture Christian's grey eyes. "That's why you've been rubbing my stomach more than usual, isn't it?" With a big grin on his face, Christian nods. "How did you know? I only confirmed my pregnancy with Dr. Greene on Friday."

Christian wraps one arm around Ana's waist and with the other rubs her stomach. "Mrs. Grey, after all these years I probably know your body better than you. And for the past few weeks, there have been minute changes to your body. But I enjoyed the way you finally told me."

"Congratulations!" Jason says as he shakes hands with Christian. He turns to Ana and gives her a hug. Jason's wife Gail runs over to hug both Ana and Christian. Gail is followed by Hannah Sawyer, Ana's Personal Assistant and wife of Luke Sawyer. Luke joins the group to offer his congratulations by shaking Christian's hand and hugging Ana.

As he hugs Ana, Luke says "So back on pregnancy watch, am I?" The group laughs.


	19. Chapter 19

Christian parks his rental Audi R8 by the showroom entrance door of the Auburn Hills Lincoln car dealership. As he steps out of the vehicle, he straightens his black tie and pulls at the cuffs of his black Armani suit. He walks around to the passenger door and assists his grandmother, Margaret White, out of the car. He offers his arm and the pair walk into the dealership. From the corner of his eye he sees Taylor and Sawyer arrive in a separate vehicle and both men walk around the parking lot looking at the vehicles on display.

As soon as Christian and Margaret are inside the showroom, a statuesque woman with long red hair approaches them with a gleam in her eye. With her four inch high heels, she is almost six feet tall. She runs her hand over the hip of her silk dress. She licks her lips as her eyes run up and down Christian's body. "Hello. I'm Brittany Stevenson. May I help you find something you would like?" She purrs to Christian. "_Forget it honey. You_'re _no match to what I have waiting for back at the hotel."_ Christian says to himself.

"Yes, I'm interested in making a purchase for my Grandmother today. Is Mr. Reynolds available?" Christian asks the woman.

Brittany looks questionably at Christian. "Fred is in his office, but he leaves transactions to his sales staff. I'm the top seller and I'm sure I can see to your needs. To _all_ of your needs." She purrs, looking Christian in the eye as she runs her tongue over her lips. She is quite blatant as to what services she is willing to provide to Christian.

In his best CEO voice, Christian says "I don't believe I'm interested in what you are trying to _sell_ me. Now, are you going to page Mr. Reynolds, or shall I locate him myself?"

Brittany's face turns almost as red as her hair. "I will go and see if he is available." She says in a huff. "Whom may I say is asking for him?"

"Christian Grey."

She turns and walks up the stairs to the office area overlooking the showroom. Halfway up the stairs, she turns to see if Christian is watching her wiggle her ass as she climbs the stairs. She gives another huff as she realizes he is the only male in the building not watching her.

Margaret turns to Christian with a smile and asks Christian "Do all women react that way to you?"

"Pretty much." Christian says with a sigh. "I know it's only a face and I've gotten accustomed to it. And of course they also see dollar signs." Christian smirks. The smirk turns to a smile as he says "Ana was never interested in the money. In fact, at the beginning it was a very big negative in her mind."

A few minutes later, Brittany reappears at the top of the stairs followed by a man in his mid-sixties, with thinning brown hair. As he follows Brittany down the stairs, his eyes never leave her ass. When he reaches the show room floor, he walks over to Christian with his hand extended. "Mr. Grey. I'm so happy that you have chosen to grace us with your presence. Brittany says that you are interested in purchasing a Lincoln for your Grandmother."

Christian ignores the extended hand. In his CEO voice he says "No. I told Miss Stevenson that I was interested in making a purchase for my Grandmother. I'm going to buy your business, not a car."

"What? No, this business is not for sale. My father started this business and under my helm, it has survived the economy and has continued to be the top Lincoln dealership in Michigan. Why would you want a dealership? If you wanted to sell cars, you could have snapped up one of the other Detroit automobile corporations a few years ago."

"Let me introduce my Grandmother." Christian takes Margaret's hand in his and draws her forward. "This is my grandmother, Margaret White."

Margaret smiles sweetly and says "Hello Freddie. It's been a few years, hasn't it?"

"Mrs. White?" Fred Reynolds gasps as he finally recognizes the woman. He looks at Christian and sputters "But how can she be your grandmother? Her only child died when he was still a teenager."

Christian narrows his eyes as he looks at the man. "Yes, my father died just a few days after I was born." He smirks as he continues "And my mother, Ella, was your sister, _Uncle_ Freddie."

Fred collapses into a near-by chair. "Christian Grey is my nephew?" he whispers in astonishment. He looks at Christian and says "I still don't understand why you want to buy my business."

Christian puts his arms on the arms of Fred's chair and leans over him to say "I am going to crush you, and you father, for what you did to my mother, father and grandmother all those years ago." Through gritted teeth, Christian continued "Your father kicked out his sixteen year old daughter when he found out she was pregnant. And he fired his housekeeper because her son was the father of the baby."

Fred sputters "My father may have done that, but that doesn't involve me." Seeing the look in Christian's eyes, he fears for himself.

"You were several years older than your sister, but you did absolutely nothing to stop your father, or assist your sister at a stressful time. What kind of a man are you?"

Fred tries to pull the chair back, but Christian keeps a firm grip on the arms of the chair. "You...you don't understand how controlling my father was. Anyone going against his orders was cut out of his life and left to fend for themselves."

Christian glares at Fred. "I am well aware of your controlling father. Your sister Elizabeth has told me about growing up in his household and was only able to escape when she went to college in Chicago. I am also well aware that he fired my grandmother because her son impregnated his daughter. I have also seen the court documents that he refused to have anything to do with his daughter's 'bastard child' when informed of her death when that 'bastard child' was only four years old."

"You'll need to take all that up with my father, not me." Fred says.

"Oh I will." Christian says. He stands up. "I also know he is still the legal owner of his dealership. You are still just a lackey, jumping at his every whim." He puts his hands back on the arms of the chair in which Fred is still sitting and shoves it several feet. Christian sees a couple of large men walking towards them. "And you can call off your thugs. I'm done with you."

Christian stands back up and pulls down the sleeves of his jacket. He puts his arm out for his grandmother and they walk towards the exterior door. The dealership's security start to follow them, but back off when they see Taylor and Sawyer on each side of the exterior door waiting for Christian and Margaret.

Christian opens the passenger door of the Audi R8 and helps his grandmother into the vehicle. He closes the door and walks over to Taylor and Sawyer. "Reynolds was aware of Bobby White's death. Why would he be aware of what happened to the ex-housekeeper's son after she left their employment? And remember it all these years later? Have Welch run a check on Fred Reynolds Jr's activities in June 1983. The father's as well. I can't wait to get my hands on records from this dealership and its body shop."

Christian then walks around the car and gets in the driver's door. Margaret looks over at her grandson and smiles "Do you do that often?"

"Do what?" Christian asks with a smirk.

"Intimidate people."

"Yes, I do." He proudly says. "Best way to get things done my way."

Margaret laughs. "It was fun to watch. I'm just glad I wasn't the target."

Christian beams his mega-watt smile. He reaches across the car interior to take hold of his grandmother's hand. He raises it to his lips to kiss her hand. "Thank you for being there. Let's go back to Ana at the hotel."

Back at their suite, Margaret fills Ana in on what transpired at the car dealership. Christian is busy on his phone making arrangements for the contents of Margaret's apartment to be disposed of or packed up to be shipped to Seattle. They had visited the apartment the day before when they had first arrived in Detroit. They walked through the apartment and Margaret indicated what she wanted to keep and what could be disposed of. Christian and Ana had assured her that they would buy her anything she wanted in Seattle, but realized that there were sentimental things that she would want to keep close to her in her new surroundings.

Christian completes his phone calls and is about to join Ana and Margaret in the living room area of the suite when Taylor appears in the room and indicates that he needs to talk to Christian. The two men head to the suite across the hallway being used by Taylor and Sawyer.

"Sir, I've heard from Welch. He has been able to do some digging into the financial records of the Reynolds' car dealership. They have been losing money for a number of years and Ford is on the verge of pulling their franchise." Jason informs Christian.

"Good. That will make it easier for us." Christian says. "Maybe it's time I make my offer. I'll contact Ros in Seattle to submit the paperwork I left ready. She just needs to fill in the appropriate dates and transmit the documents." He runs his hands through his copper locks. "I can't wait to bring those bastards down." Christian closes his eyes briefly. When he opens them, he looks at Jason. "I know they are my blood grandfather and uncle, but I feel nothing but hatred for them and what they did to Ella, Bobby and Margaret."

After lunch in their suite, Christian and Ana place a video call to their children. Both Christian and Ana assure them that they will be back home tomorrow. Margaret is amazed at their use of technology to keep in touch with their children. She tears up when all of the children tell her that they love her before they sign off.

"Are you prepared to do this, Grandmother?" Christian asks Margaret. They are getting ready to head to the home of Frederick Reynolds Senior. It would be the first time Margaret was back there since the day she was fired.

"Yes!" Margaret adamantly says. "I can't wait to see the look on Reynolds face when he realizes what became of the grandson he wanted nothing to do with."

Ana laughs "I guess Christian comes by his vindictiveness honestly." She rolls her eyes as both Christian and Margaret smirk.

"Revenge can be very sweet." Christian says. He takes Ana by the hand as they walk of the suite. He smiles as he remembers the first time he held Ana by the hand. He had asked Ana out for coffee following the tedious photo shoot he had endured just so that he could spend time with Ana. Taking her hand as they walked out of the hotel suite to the nearby coffee shop had seemed so natural, despite it being the first time he had any desire to hold hands with a woman.

When the group steps into the elevator, Christian puts his arm around Ana's waist and she leans her head against his shoulder. They look at each other and share a smile. They know what the other is thinking – their reaction to being together in an elevator. Christian smirks when he realizes that Luke is standing in front of them staring at the closed doors of the elevator. The smirk turns to a chuckle when he sees that Ana is blushing as she notices the stance of their security.

The group exits the hotel to find Jason is waiting with the rental SUV. Luke gets behind the wheel while Jason holds the rear door open for the others to get in the back. Jason shuts the door behind Christian and waves them off. Luke starts to drive towards Auburn Hills.

"Why isn't Jason coming with us?" Ana asks Christian.

"He has an important errand to do." Christian replies. At Ana's raised eyebrow he continues "Jason and a team will be standing by at the Reynolds auto dealership awaiting word from me that papers have been served of the transfer of ownership to GEH."

When they arrive at the address for Frederick Reynolds Sr., they encounter a locked gate across the driveway. Before Luke has an opportunity to press the intercom button, Margaret says "Try 12345 as the code." Luke enters presses the number on the keypad and the gates swing open.

As the vehicle pulls up to the front door, the door opens and a middle-aged woman steps out of the house. Her welcoming smile quickly turns to surprise and concern when she does not recognize Luke as he steps out of the vehicle. Without acknowledging her, Luke opens the rear door for Christian to step out.

Christian walks over to the woman and says "We are here to see Frederick Reynolds Sr."

"I'm sorry, he isn't expecting anyone." She says. "How did you get through the locked gate? I wasn't aware of anyone using the intercom."

"Not difficult when the code isn't changed for decades." Christian says. By this time, both Ana and Margaret are standing beside Christian with Sawyer behind them. "Now if you would be so kind and inform your employer that Christian Grey is here to see him." Christian demands in his firm CEO voice.

The woman turns and re-enters the house. Christian and the others follow behind without waiting for permission to enter. As they enter the foyer of the house, a woman in her late 30s is coming down the stairs with a questioning look on her face. As she reaches the bottom of the stairs, her eyes light up when she spots Christian and she smiles at him. "Hello." She says as she extends her hand to Christian. "I'm Sheila Reynolds. How may I help you?"

Christian ignores her hand and says "I'm here to see your father, Frederick Reynolds."

"Frederick Reynolds is my husband, not my father." Sheila tries to smile seductively to Christian. "He's not available at the moment. May I be of any assistance?" she purrs to Christian, ignoring everyone else.

"The only assistance we need from you is to tell us where your husband is. Otherwise, I will tear this house apart until I find him." Christian says in a loud voice.

"What the hell is all this commotion?" a voice yells from the top of the stairs. Christian looks up and sees his biological grandfather – the man who disowned his pregnant daughter and refused to accept responsibility of his young orphaned grandson. Christian watches with venom in his eyes as the frail man navigates the stairs. "Who the fuck are you?" Frederick Reynolds demands when he is at the bottom of the stairs.

Christian raises an eyebrow. "You tell me. Do I look familiar?" Christian hisses.

Frederick squints his eyes as he studies Christian's face. A look of confusion appears on his face and he turns to look at the other people standing beside Christian. He gasps when he finally recognizes Margaret White. "Mrs. White?" he questions.

"Yes, it is." Margaret says. "I never thought I would see you again, Mr. Reynolds. We didn't part on the best of terms."

"What brings you here? It's a bit late to come looking for any severance pay." Frederick says.

"My grandson wanted to see the man who was not only capable of disowning his pregnant teenage daughter and firing his housekeeper because her son was the father of the baby, but also able to turn his back on his four year-old orphaned grandson." Margaret says. Margaret turns to Christian and says "Christian Grey, meet your grandfather, Frederick Reynolds. Frederick, meet your grandson Christian Grey."

"Christian Grey? THE Christian Grey?" Frederick shouts. "My grandson is the billionaire Christian Grey?"

"Not the fuck that that will make any difference to you. But yes, I am Christian Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings." Christian hisses.

"Welcome. Welcome." Frederick says. "Please come into the living room. I'll have Mrs. Adams bring us some coffee."

"No thank you." Christian says through gritted teeth. "I don't think I would be able to stomach it." He looks Frederick Reynolds in the eye and says "I just wanted to see for myself the person who could turn his back on his own blood. Now having seen you, I have to admit that I am relieved you refused to acknowledge me all those years ago which allows the Greys to adopt me. My life was much better than it would have been growing up here."

When Frederick was about to speak, Christian raises his hand to signal to stop. "I just want to let you know that I plan on destroying you and your son." Christian pulls out his phone and presses a button "Proceed Jason." He says before disconnecting. He turns back to Frederick and says "As we speak, Grey Enterprises is in the process of taking over your Lincoln dealership."

"You can't do that!" Frederick exclaims. "I've had that franchise for decades. Ford wouldn't do that to me."

Christian looks at him in disdain. "I can and I am. Ford Corporation was only too happy to cancel your franchise and sell it to me. That's what can happen when you fall behind in your payments."

In the distance, a ringing phone can be heard and a few minutes later Mrs. Adams appears in the foyer. "Excuse me, Mr. Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds Junior is on the phone for you."

Christian smirks. "You better take that _Grandfather_. I do believe _Uncle Freddie_ is calling his Daddy to whine that his life is being taken away."

Christian turns and holds out both arms for Ana and Margaret to each take one. As they turn as one, Margaret calls back "Been good seeing you again Frederick." Luke is standing with the front door open for them to pass through. They get into the SUV and drive away without looking back.

"Are you alright, Grandmother?" Christian asks.

"Yes I'm fine." Margaret answers. She turns to Christian and smiles. "Actually, I feel fantastic! I know it's mean of me to feel this way, but I got a lot of enjoyment of seeing you get the better of Frederick Reynolds. I don't believe anyone ever has."

"All just in a day's work." Christian says. He then flashes his mega-watt smile and says "But, yes. This one did feel really good." Christian says to himself "_And I'm looking forward to see what Jason and his team will find in the files of the dealership."_ Christian leans back in the seat and puts his arm around Ana and she lays her head on his shoulder. _"Life is good."_


	20. Chapter 20

"_FUCK! Why can't he just shut the fuck up. He just drones on and on."_ Christian Grey says to himself as he fidgets in his seat. The meal for the business banquet is over and the guest speaker is just talking in a monotone voice. Christian had been unable to get out of attending as he needed to make contact with the guest speaker, Justin Stone. They have been working on a deal for the past several months, but this is the first time their schedules have permitted a face to face meeting. They will be meeting for drinks following the wrap up of the banquet. "_Perseverance Grey._" He tells himself.

He can't even entertain himself with sexting Ana like he usually does in situations like this. Unfortunately, Ana is having an emergency girls' night with Kate who is still going through post-natal depression following the birth of Elliott Junior last year. Elliott Senior has been working long hours with his construction company trying to keep up with the economy. Elliott had phoned Kate late in the afternoon to say that he would be working late again today and he didn't know when he'd get home. Kate was in tears when she phoned Ana asking her to come over.

"_I hope to hell Elliott is actually working late and hasn't started fucking around again. I'll call him tomorrow to see if he can do lunch. Things have been going so well with the extended family the past couple years once Elliott and Kate had gotten back together."_ After the birth of their daughter Ava eight years ago, Kate had suffered from post-natal depression and Elliott couldn't handle it. Instead of trying to look after Kate's needs, Elliott avoided being home and plowed himself into work, trying to expand his company to the Portland market. On an out of town business trip, Elliott went to unwind in the hotel's bar and his old man-whore tendencies surfaced and he spend the night with a woman he met in the bar.

Christian pulls out his phone and calls up the photo attachment Ana sent him earlier this evening as a promise of what will happen later. It is a picture of Ana wearing nothing but my grey tie – her favorite. The minx is biting her lip and rolling her eyes. Christian snickers as he wonders how many pictures she had to take of herself before she was able to get everything right. _"Fuck I want to be home with Ana right now."_

Christian comes out of his trance and realizes that people are clapping and standing. _Fuck! He doesn't deserve a standing ovation. Everyone is probably like me and just thankful he has finally shut the fuck up._ Christian sees Mr. Stone shaking hands with the emcee of the evening and saying his farewells.

Christian puts on his best CEO face and heads to the podium. "Mr. Stone. So glad we're able to finally meet face to face." Christian says and extends his hand.

"Please call me Justin." The man says as he takes Christian's hand in a firm handshake. "Let's go have a drink in the bar. I'm sure there's a quiet booth available for a private conversation." Christian nods his assent and motions for the man to proceed out of the conference room.

The two men get settled in a booth in the back corner of the bar. A cocktail waitress immediately approaches them – eye fucking both men. Christian is aware of her actions, but ignores it as he has always down since he reached adulthood. Ana was, and is, the only woman he wants to be eye fucked by.

"Hi! I'm Vanessa. What may I get you two fine looking gentlemen?" she purrs in a throaty voice. A smirk comes to Christian's face as he sees Justin Stone start to preen himself in response. "_Sounds like food and drink are not the only things on her menu." _Christian thinks to himself. "_Fuck, men can be so gullible."_ Christian thinks to himself. Christian looks at the man sitting across from him. _"Okay, I guess he would be viewed as attractive by women. He does seem to have some movie star looks." _

Christian's lips thinned when he sees Justin 'accidentally' brush his hand against the girl's ass as she leans over to place coasters on the cocktail table between the two men. She smiles at Stone and throws a sideways glance to Grey. "_Yea, I just bet you're game for a three-way honey. Ain't happening – at least not with me as one of the participants. Even in my pre-Ana sexcapades, I never shared. Besides being possessive, it was all a woman could do to keep up with my needs. And of course now, Ana is all the woman I need – in and out of the bedroom."_

"I'll be right back with your drinks gentlemen." Vanessa purrs after the men give their drink orders. Justin doesn't take his eyes off her ass as she sashays to the bar. Justin's eyes grow wide as she bends from the waist to pick up the pen that 'fell' to the floor. Christian rolls his eyes at the waitress's obvious moves. "_Fuck, men can be so gullible." _Christian repeats to himself. He is beginning to have second thoughts about entering into business with a man that obviously lets his dick control him. Christian has always been up for a good fuck, the harder the better in most cases, but one needs to be able to balance the two and not let the lower head make the final decisions.

Vanessa quickly returns to the table with their drinks. She makes a point of bending from the waist to set the drinks on the table between the men – ensuring that both men get an eyeful of her massive cleavage. As she stands back up, her breast brushes against Justin's arm. "Oh sorry, Sir." She says breathlessly, but her sensual smile makes it obvious that she has no regrets.

"How are the _wife and children?_" Christian asks Justin before Vanessa leaves their table. Just in case she overlooked the gold band on the man's finger.

Justin drags his eyes off of Vanessa and turns to Christian. "Umm….oh. Elizabeth is fine and the twins are growing by leaps and bounds. They will be starting school in the fall."

The two men start talking business, but Christian quickly realizes that Justin's mind isn't fully on their discussion – his eyes keep following Vanessa around the room. _"Fuck, this is still a waste of my time. Ana's not home, but I could be home playing with the kids."_ Christian sees Justin's eyes expand and start to glaze over and says to Christian "Geez, people should just get a room and do their fucking in private. But Christ, that is hot."

Christian turns to see what has captivated Justin's attention. He sees a curly blonde haired man and a red haired woman in a hot embrace. One of the man's hands is fondling the woman's breast and it looks as if he's about to pull one of her breasts out of the top of her halter dress and the other is already under the skirt of her dress. The woman's hands have also been busy. The man's shirt is half unbutton and her hands are heading to the zipper of his pants. Their mouths pull apart and the woman whispers something in the man's ear. He nods and stands up, although he is a bit wobbly at first. He leans down and gives the woman a quick kiss on the lips and walks out of the bar. "_FUCK!" _Christian exclaims to himself. "_It's Elliott and that woman is certainly not Kate – even in a wig! If I'm not mistaken it is his new secretary."_

Christian sees Taylor appear from the shadow corner of the bar and heads in the direction that Elliott had gone. Christian knows that Taylor recognized Elliott in the compromising situation.

Christian turns to Justin and says "Your mind seems to be distracted this evening. Why don't we wait to have our discussions tomorrow at my office? I'll get the tab for our drinks." The two men shake hands and Christian sees Justin head to the bar where Vanessa is loading up her tray with drinks. He slips her a piece of paper – undoubtedly his room number. _"Oh well, his choice. I can't worry about his marriage. But I do need to worry about my brother's. It would kill Mom if Elliott and Kate break up again."_

Christian sits back down in the chair Justin vacated as it gave him a better view of the couch that Elliott and his secretary occupied. He sees the woman pick up a phone from the table and it appears she is sending a text. She sets it down and then removes a phone from her purse and sends a text. _"I wonder what the fuck she is up to?"_ Christian ponders to himself. Christian sees Elliott return to the bar and sits back down on the couch beside the woman. He sets a room card on the table and picks up his drink. The woman snuggles up to him and runs her hand up his thigh.

Christian sees Taylor re-enter the bar. Taylor makes eye contact with Christian and nods. _"FUCK! This is NOT going to go well. But I have to protect big brother from himself. I just wish he'd stop thinking with his dick."_ Christian says to himself as he stands and starts to walk over to his brother.

As Christian slides into a club chair opposite Elliott and his secretary, he says "Hi Elliott. Image seeing you here. Kate had told Ana that you were working late and invited her over for a girls' night as Ana was at loose ends since I had a dinner meeting." All color drains from Elliott's face and he tries to shift away to put distance between himself and the woman.

"Ah, yeah we …we were working late." Elliott stammers. "We finished off the quote and presented to the client here awhile ago. It was accepted and we decided to have a drink to celebrate_._ Christian, you remember my secretary Tiffany Andrews? I believe you've met her at the office._" _Christian nods in agreement but makes no offer to shake hands or acknowledge the woman.

Christian feels his phone vibrate in his pocket and pulls it out to see who is calling. He smiles when he sees it is Ana. "Excuse me for a minute. It's Anastasia." He says to Elliott. "Hi Anastasia. What are you and Kate up to? Elliott? Yes, he's right here. I've just run into him in the lounge at the Fairmont."

Elliott can hear Ana's voice yelling at Christian but can't make out what she's saying. He hears Christian say "Really? Let me check. Hold on." Christian reaches over and picks up Elliott's phone still sitting on the table. He scrolls through the outgoing messages. "Hmmm…Ana, I'm going to have to call you back in a few minutes." He disconnects the phone.

Christian slides the phone across the table to Elliott and says "Bro, care to explain this text that you send to Kate just a few minutes ago?" Elliott pales even further when he reads the text

**Fine Bitch! I won't bother coming home tonight and maybe not tomorrow either.**

Elliott stammers "But … but I didn't. I sent Kate a text earlier to say that I'd be late getting home due to meeting with the client and she sent a text back questioning if I planned on coming home at all. I hadn't responded at all. I admit I was pissed off at her question and I wanted to calm down first. And before I had a chance to respond, the client arrived and I hadn't gotten back to the phone."

"Well then I guess it must have been the text that Tiffany sent a few minutes ago while you were gone from the lounge. Right Tiffany?" Christian was in full CEO mode as he glared at Tiffany daring her to deny it.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Elliott shouts as he looks from Christian to Tiffany. He looks shattered as he looks at Tiffany. "Why?"

"Darling, you've been telling me for weeks now that you and your wife had grown apart and she wasn't seeing to your needs. You said she had sent you a text telling you to not bother going home tonight. I thought you were finally accepting that we have a connection and we were about to start exploring it." Tiffany says in her softest, seductive voice as she bats her eyelashes at Elliott and reaches her hand out to caress his cheek. "I love you."

"The relationship between my wife and me is _none_ of your business." Elliott says through clenched teeth. He grabs Tiffany hand and pulls it away from his face. "God, what did I almost do in a moment of weakness?" he says as his eyes fall on the room card sitting on the table beside his phone. Elliott turns to Christian and asks "Were you following me? Why did you happen to be here?"

"No, I wasn't following you, nor was any of my security detail. You're old enough to make your own decisions _and _pay the consequences. I was here for a business dinner and stopped into the lounge here to have a drink with a business colleague. I was about to leave when we spotted you. The two of you were putting on quite a show, which my colleague was quite enjoying. I think he has gone upstairs to his room to jerk off and/or fuck the cocktail waitress when her shift ends." Christian says.

Christian shakes his head and continues ``Elliott…Elliott, I thought you'd learned when you managed to convince Kate to take you back two years ago that you had stopped thinking with your dick." Still speaking to his brother, but focusing his CEO glare on Tiffany, Christian continues ``Why go out for a cheap burger when you have filet mignon waiting for you at home?"

Tiffany gasps at the insult. She looks at Elliott and exclaims "Darling, are you going to let him talk to me like that. Are you not going to come to my defense?"

Before Elliott has a chance to respond, Christian says "Oh come off it Ms Andrews. Drop the little 'Miss Innocent' act. It was certainly wasn't 'Miss Innocent' you were playing last month when I dropped into Elliott's office to see if he was available for lunch. Elliott was out on a site, but you made it quite clear to me that you were available for 'dessert', or anything else I might be interested in."

Tiffany gasps. "You're full of yourself. Do you really think that every woman is just waiting for you to fall all over them?"

Christian just smiles. Elliott laughs "Yes, they do. Ever since he hit puberty."

"Ms Andrews. After you sent the text on Elliott's phone, you sent a text on your phone. I would like to see it and who did you send it to?" Christian asks and holds out his hand for the phone.

"I'm not going to show you. It's my phone and it's private." Tiffany says, nervously.

"You didn't think my phone was private, did you?" Elliott says. "Show us your phone."

"No." She stands up to leave and picks up her purse. "I'm leaving." Tears start to form in her eyes as she says "I love you Elliott. She said that I just had to hold in, be there for you and you would finally see the light that we were meant for each other."

"Show. Me. Your. Phone. NOW." Christian demands. Tiffany's departure is blocked by Taylor. She is startled by his sudden appearance and drops her purse. Taylor picks up the purse and hands it to Christian.

"Who gave you advice on how to get Elliott?" Christian asked as he pulls the phone out of Tiffany's purse. He calls up the text log and managed to keep a poker face at what he sees. "Let me guess. Your hairdresser – Elena Lincoln."

"Oh fuck!" says Elliott.


	21. Chapter 21

"Taylor. Please escort Ms Andrews to her home." Christian says without looking up as he continues to scroll through the phone.

"That's _my_ phone! Give it back to me." Tiffany says to Christian.

"Strange. It has the Grey Construction logo on it, which means that it is company property. And since you no longer work for Grey Construction, you are not entitled to it. Good-bye Ms Andrews. You've wasted enough of our time this evening." Christian leans back in his chair and raises one ankle over his knee making himself comfortable.

"What do you mean I no longer work for Grey Construction? Elliott owns the company, not _you_ big and mighty Mr. CEO." Tiffany demands. "Elliott, you're not just going to sit there and do nothing, are you? I thought I meant something to you." She manages to get the words out as the tears are flowing.

Elliott says "I was beginning to think so, but I realize now that I was being played and you caught me in a weak moment. Good-bye Tiffany. Your severance pay will be deposited into your bank account tomorrow morning. There will be no need to go to the office to clear out your desk. I'll have someone deliver your personal things to you."

Taylor takes Tiffany by the arm and escorts her out of the bar.

Christian pulls his phone out of his pocket and calls Ana. "Ana, Elliott didn't send that text. Assure Kate that he knew nothing about it. He had stupidly left his phone on the table when he went to the washroom. His now former secretary sent the text to cause problems. When Taylor returns from escorting her home, he'll take Elliott home to Kate. Elliott and I are going to talk over drinks while we wait for Taylor to return. Please stay with Kate until Elliott gets home. Taylor will have further instructions when he sees you. I love you Ana."

"I love you too Christian." Ana responds. "I'm looking forward to being with you." They disconnect.

Elliott gives a big sigh. He leans forward and puts his head into his hands. "What the fuck was I thinking? Christian, what would have happened if you hadn't come over? How could I have not thought of what it would do to Kate. I don't want to lose Kate again." He starts to sob. Christian passes a handkerchief to his brother. As the tears ebb, Elliott asks "What has Elena got to do with Tiffany and her move on me?"

"Well…judging by what I can see from the text log, Elena is her hairdresser and has been giving her advice on how to get you to fall in love with her." Christian responds. He throws the phone on the table. "Fuck. I thought Elena was finally out of our lives. She hasn't made any contact for several years. I know she relocated to Portland after her Seattle salons went into bankruptcy not long after I withdrew my financial support."

Christian continues. "And it doesn't end with just Tiffany getting you to fall in love with her. You were being set up this evening…or make it tomorrow morning. Apparently when you would be having room service deliver breakfast to your room, the waiter will be a tabloid photographer/reporter. Elena had Tiffany convinced that if your cheating was made public, Kate would throw you out and you would naturally turn to Tiffany for comfort."

All the color once again drains from Elliott's face. "Oh my God! How could I be so fucking stupid?" He looks across the table to his younger brother and says "Thank you Christian for saving me from myself. What can I do to repay you?"

"Stop thinking with your dick would be a good start." Christian says with a smile. "I know Kate and I only tolerated each other at the beginning for your sake as well as Ana's, but over the years I have grown to respect her. Especially after you fucked up your marriage a few years ago. She wisely kicked you out and filed for divorce when she found out about your flings with an ex-girlfriend and others. She took the high road to protect Ava when you kept flaunting all your blonde bimbo fuck-bunnies." Christian shakes his head at the memory of the steady stream of air brained bimbos Elliott would bring to family get togethers and couldn't understand why they were not welcomed with open arms. "I still don't know why she took you back two years ago. You must have some redeeming qualities about you." Christian grins at his brother.

"I'll take care of things here. When Taylor returns, I'll have him drive you home. I don't think you're safe to drive. Go home to your wife and make it up to her. She's still suffering postpartum depression from the birth of Elliott Junior. Get counseling together and do whatever you need to do to support her emotionally. Just like when Ava was a baby, Kate's focus is on being a mother and with the depression, the last thing she should have to deal with is a self-centered husband thinking of only his wants and needs. I don't know just what the current problems are with your relationship, but the timing is very similar to your previous breakup. For once in your life, put Kate's needs ahead of yours."

Elliott laughs. "This is just fucking great. Me? Getting relationship advice from my little brother? A man who has had only one relationship in his entire lifetime. And that relationship is with someone who had no prior experience either. Your relationship with Ana may be greatest thing on earth, but _please_ don't try to give me advice when you have nothing to compare it to."

"Oh Elliott." Christian bursts out laughing. "If you only knew."

"What did I say that's so funny?" Elliott asks.

Christian signals for a cocktail waitress and is relieved to see that it was not Vanessa. "Let's have a drink, no better make it doubles, I think you're going to need them." Elliott looks at him questioningly.

"Okay, where do I start? I guess the beginning would be the best. I lost my virginity at the age of fifteen – to Elena Lincoln." Christian says. "And it wasn't just a one-time fuck. We had a relationship for six years, continuing even after I left home for Harvard."

"Oh man! She was _hot_! All the guys in the neighborhood had wet dreams about her." Elliott exclaimed.

"Do you remember all the years prior to Ana when you kept making joking comments about me being gay because I never had a girlfriend?" Christian asks. Elliott nods. "Well, while you were busy fucking your way through most of the female population of Seattle, I was spending my weekends fucking the hell out of a series of Submissives."

"What? You're kidding me! Submissives? I know you've long been a control freak and have quite a temper, but I never realized that you were a sadist."

"No, not a sadist – a Dominant. I had BDSM relationships with consenting females after having signed contracts to establish hard and soft limits, as well as expectations. Any pain resulted in pleasure – for both parties."

"How the hell did you get into that lifestyle? Do you just wake up one morning and say 'I think I'll go out and buy a bunch of whips and chains and pick up a willing female to tie up'? Does Elena factor into it?"

"Yes. Elena was a Domme and quickly turned me into her Submissive. For years, I gave Elena credit for making me the successful man that I was. During the six years that I was her Submissive, she taught me to control my anger and ability to focus. In addition to a lot of sex."

"You let her whip and cane you?" Elliott asks in astonishment.

Christian nods and says "Along with many other things. I got my act together to excel at school and stopped fighting and drinking. It was either that or sufficient abuse at the hands of Elena. She also taught me to dance, about wine and other things. But not about love." Christian smiles brightly and says "Ana taught me that. But she had a long uphill battle doing that."

"How did you change from being Elena's Submissive to being a Dominant? Why?" Elliott asks, still astonished at what he is learning about his brother.

"I was starting to make my way in the business world and I needed to be the one in control. In hindsight, Elena was quite brutal and put her needs ahead of my needs. I was getting tired of that. She was agreeable to train me to be a Dominant and give advice. She was also involved in helping me select my Submissives. Until Ana came along."

"WHAT! Ana was one of your Submissives?" Elliott exclaimed. "I know Ana was young and unworldly when you met, but she was into BDSM?"

Christian laughs. "The day Ana stumbled into my office and called me 'Sir' and couldn't look me in the eye, I thought I had found my next Submissive and set out to get her to sign a contract. But I soon learned that she wasn't suited for that and found that I wanted more with her than just a weekend relationship. The rocky start of our relationship was because of the turmoil we were both going through – Ana trying to come to terms with signing the contract to become my Submissive and me realizing that someone actually loved me despite being fifty shades of fuckedupness."

"You have a contract with Ana?" Elliott asks.

"Yes. It's called marriage vows." Christian says looking Elliott straight in the eyes.

Elliott sheepishly breaks eye contact. "Oh. Yea I guess that is a contract."

"Damned right it is. You need to remember that. As for the BDSM contract I tried to get Ana to sign, I burned it after Kate confronted us about it the night Ana and I announced our engagement."

"KATE! She's known about your lifestyle all these years? Did Ana tell her? And she never told me?" Elliott asks.

"Ana had signed a NDA and honored it by not even telling her best friend Kate about it. Ana had left a copy of the BDSM contract I had given to her, to read and sign, in a jacket pocket and Kate discovered it. To say the least, Kate was quite livid that I was trying to take advantage of sweet innocent Ana. By then I accepted that I wanted Ana in my life full time any way I could, contract or no contract. Ana swore Kate to secrecy and I guess she has honored it all these years."

Elliott is still having trouble getting his head around his brother's secret sex life. "So, ten years later, you've never had any regrets giving up the BDSM sex for Ana?"

"What makes you think I've given it up?" Christian counters with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Well…the way you've criticized me this evening about my affairs. Isn't that a bit hypocritical to criticize me when you have continued to have Submissives on the side?"

Elliott chokes on his drink when Christian responds "Oh no. Ana is the only sex partner I've had in the past ten years. She drew the line at the whips and canes right from the beginning, but she enjoys the rest of the kinky fuckery as much as I do." Christian smiles his mega watt smile at the thought of Ana's ready responses to anything he suggests.

"Kinky fuckery? So _that's_ where Kate got that expression." Elliott says. Elliott puts his head in his hands "Oh no."

"What?" Christian asks.

"Various times over the years, Kate makes mention of 'kinky fuckery' and suggests using various sex toys or props. I thought she was unhappy with me and our sex life and was looking elsewhere. I realize now she was likely just talking to Ana. Who would have thought little Ana Steele giving sex advice to Kate Kavenaugh." Both brothers laugh.

Elliott asks "So, those years when you were a Dominant with Submissives. As you became more known in the business world, how were you able to frequent clubs without ever being outed?"

"Elena did take me to clubs sometimes and I would go alone when I was training to be a Dominant. But yes, there was a fear that my secret would get out. By then I was a millionaire and when I bought the penthouse at Escala, I had a playroom installed." Christian sits back and smiles waiting for his brother to comprehend this piece of information.

"WHAT? You had a room of whips and chains at Escala? And I never knew? Geez bro, didn't Mom and Dad teach us both to share?" Elliott laughs.

"Well, I got rid of the whips and canes when it was evident that Ana would have no part of them. But the chains, ropes, riding crops, handcuffs and toys are still there. Why do you think we never sold Escala? It wasn't _just_ to keep business entertaining out of the family home. Ana and I have a play date every Wednesday afternoon in the 'Red Room of Pain' as Ana called it when she first saw it."

"Oh…I have to see this playroom." Elliott says.

"Okay. I do think you need to see it, but please don't let others know about it. Not even Kate. How about meeting for lunch tomorrow? I'll pick you up at your office at noon." Christian suggests. "Oh and bro, we keep an inventory of all the toys, so don't try liberating anything." Christian says with a wink.

"Noon it is."

Christian sees Taylor walk back into the bar and says to Elliott "Well, bro, are you ready to start making it up to Kate?"

"Yes. Thank you for everything Christian." Elliott says. As he joins Taylor, Elliott turns to his brother and with a wink says "Looking forward to lunch at Escala tomorrow bro."

Taylor quickly looks at his boss and sees the smirk on Christian's face. _"Oh S__hit! I wonder what this will lead to?"_

"Night Elliott." Christian says. "Oh Elliott, you should likely change your shirt before getting home. I don't believe the lipstick stains on the shirt are Kate's color."

"Taylor." Christian calls. "Ana will be waiting for you when you drop Elliott off. Please bring her here. I'll be waiting."

Christian sits back and gets comfortable while he waits for Ana to arrive. _"Dear sweet Ana. What did I do to deserve her? I'd never treat her like Elliott has treated Kate over the years. But then Ana hasn't treated me the way Kate has treated Elliott either. Ana has stuck with me through various trials and tribulations and the fifty shades of grey are finally starting to peel away. I hope Ana and I will be able to circumvent Elena's latest scheme."_

Christian is still lost in thought planning what he and Ana will need to do to stop Elena and is not immediately aware of someone sitting down on the couch across from him until he realizes someone is talking to him. He looks up and sees a very attractive woman, about twenty-five years of age, looking at him with a come hither look. She reaches up to push a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear.

"You look troubled. Would you like a sympathetic ear?" she asks in a husky voice. She uncrosses her long tanned legs drawing attention to her 'come fuck me' sandals attached to feet by ribbons wrapped around her slim ankles. She leans forward to reach one manicured hand across the table to touch Christian's knee, providing him with a view down the front of her low cut cowl neck dress showing that she was not wearing a bra. As she smiles at him, she runs her tongue along her lips and looks him straight in the eye with a definite come hither look.

"No, it's alright. I was just concentrating on something." Christian says as he swifts his leg to break contact with her hand.

"Oh, okay then. Would you mind some company? I'm staying here at the hotel while I'm in Seattle on business and I don't know anyone. I felt like a drink, but didn't want to drink alone in my room." She settles back into the deep cushions of the couch and crosses her legs again. As she does that, the tight skirt of her dress rises higher and Christian is aware that she is pantiless as well as braless. She continues to eye fuck Christian. She leans forward again to pick up her drink glass. She makes a productive of wrapping her red lips around the straw and sucking the drink. She sets the glass back down again, once again giving Christian a view down her dress. She pulls the swizzle stick out of her drink and pulls the fruit off of it one by one into her succulent mouth. All the while maintaining eye contact with Christian.

As Christian is about to tell the woman to 'fuck off', when he feels a tingle down his spine, his heart starts beating faster and his cock gets hard. The sensation he always has gets when Ana is nearby. He looks up and his face lights up with his mega watt, panty melting smile and sees Ana at the entrance to the bar. "_Fuck she is beautiful."_ Christian says to himself. Ana is still casually dressed for her Girls' Night with Kate: an oversized shirt over skintight leggings. The shirt's neckline is loose and the shirt falls off to one side, exposing her bare shoulder. "_Oh, I LOVE those shoes. They must be new. Ana will definitely have to wear them for our next playroom date." _ Ana is teetering on five inch heels. Black straps criss cross across her feet and two inch wide cuffs hold the shoes into place. Christian catches Ana's eyes across the room. Their eyes lock, grey gazing into blue, as Ana saunters across the room.

As Ana gets closer to Christian, she smirks when sees the woman sitting across from Christian preening herself thinking his smile is for her. Ana walks towards Christian and 'stumbles', falling onto his lap. Christian puts his arms around her to steady her. Ana looks at him and says "Thanks. With a smile like that you must have women falling at your feet all the time."

Christian laughs and says "Not all the time, just once and awhile." They both smirk when they hear "Slut." but ignore the blonde woman.

Ana runs one hand down his cheek and over his chest, stopping at his waist while she says "Well Handsome, are you looking for some fun tonight?" Ana then puts both arms around Christian's neck and pulls his mouth down to hers.

When their mouths separate, Christian says "You shouldn't have done that. I'm a married man, and by the ring on your hand, I'd say you were a married woman."

"I won't tell if you don't!" Ana laughs seductively as her hands play with the knot of his tie, trying to pull it loose. "What they don't know, won't hurt them. So Sexy, I ask again, are you looking for some fun tonight? " Before giving Christian a chance to answer, Ana pulls his mouth down to hers once again. Christian runs his tongue over her lips and when she parts her lips, his tongue enters her mouth to start playing with her tongue. He pulls Ana into his arms and runs his hands over her back and down to caress her ass.

"I sure am, Beautiful. I'd love to fuck you. Hard." Christian says as their mouths pull apart. "Do you have a room here, or do you want to go to mine?"

With Ana still in his arms, Christian stands up, setting Ana on her feet. His hands stay at her waist until she regains her equilibrium. She breathlessly says "Oh most definitely yours, Sir."

"Let me settle up my tab. I'll be back in a minute. Don't leave me." Christian says. He gives Ana a quick kiss before heading over to the bar.

Ana turns to the blonde who is still sitting on the couch. "Guess you'll have to go trolling elsewhere Honey. I'm taking this one." Ana says with a smirk on her face.

Before the woman has a chance to respond, Christian returns to Ana's side and puts his arm around her waist drawing her close to his side and one hand runs over her ass to cup a cheek. He bends down to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear and gives her a kiss on the exposed skin just below the ear and another on the skin exposed by her shirt falling off one shoulder. "I can't wait to get you alone and start our fun." Christian says. The two walk out of the bar without a backward glance at the blonde who picks up her drink and heads to a couch on the other side of the room to prey on another solitary man.


	22. Chapter 22

With his arm still tight around Ana's waist, Christian heads to the bank of elevators. He groans when he sees a small crowd waiting. The doors of one of the elevators open and everyone rushes in once the elevator empties out. Christian manoeuvres them to the back wall of the elevator and positions Ana in front of him, both facing the front. It only takes a second for Ana to realize what Christian is up to. Christian wraps his left arm tightly around her waist to keep her in place. His right hand starts massaging her right breast before slowly travelling down her front, over her hip and part way down her leg before travelling back up, under her long top, to cup her sex. Ana gasps. At the same time, his mouth is kissing her neck and he whispers "Ssh. Hold still." He runs a finger between her legs. She does her best to suppress her moan as Christian adds a second finger to his caress between her legs. The hand around her waist moves to caress the underside of her breast. Ana parts her legs and Christian positions his right leg in between. Ana writhes against Christian, rubbing her ass against his groin and moving her legs against his. "Won't be much longer, Baby." Christian whispers.

The elevator has stopped at several floors and the elevator is almost empty, except for an elderly couple. The elevator stops at the 12th floor and the elderly couple get off. Christian continues rubbing his fingers against the crotch of Ana's leggings. His other hand pinches her right nipple. "Ana, raise your arms and put them around my neck." Christopher says when the elevator doors close. "Come for me Baby."

"Oh! Oh! Christian!" Ana screams as she is overcome with waves of her orgasm. She is still reeling from the waves as the elevator doors open again. With a grin, Christian leads Ana out of the elevator, keeping a firm arm around her waist to support her. Ana continues to moan as the friction of walking prolongs her orgasm.

"Here we are." Christian says as he checks the envelope in his hand to the number of the hotel room door - 1820. He slides the card into the mechanism and opens the door. "_Fuck, my brother has no class. If he had really wanted to treat a woman right, he should have sprung for a suite. Oh well. She certainly didn't warrant anything elaborate anyway and I guess a hotel room is better than the office desk." _Christian thinks to himself when he sees the hotel room. Nothing special – just a regular hotel room. "_At least it is a king size bed."_

Christian and Ana enter the room and Christian closes the door. Ana immediately turns and confronts her husband. "Okay, Grey, give. What the fuck is going on? Why are we here, in this hotel room. It certainly isn't up to your usual standards."

Christian bends down to kiss Ana. "I know. I'm trying to protect Elliott." Christian proceeds to give Ana a synopsis of what happened in the bar.

"Elena? What do you mean Bitch Troll is back in our lives? I thought we seen the last of her when she left town after filing bankruptcy eight years ago." Ana explodes.

"I know. I thought that too. Even when Linc committed suicide after his bankruptcy, she never took any action against us. Maybe she was just biding her time until she had an opportunity." Christian said. "And I guess Elliott's delusional, love struck, secretary presented her with the opportunity. Not directly at either you or me, but our extended family. Mom would be devastated if Elliott fucked around on Kate again." Christian takes her suit jacket off and hangs it in the closet.

"Okay. You managed to get Elliott safely home to Kate before he fucked his secretary tonight. But why are we here in the room Elliott rented instead of at home in our own home?" Ana asked.

Christian responded "After I confiscated the phone from Tiffany, I checked to see what text she had sent while Elliott was paying his tab at the bar. The text was to Elena and gave this hotel room number. I'm not sure the significance, but I have a suspicion that they planned on making Elliott's infidelity public."

"Ah. So you think some scumbag will show up here in the morning to get proof that Elliott spent the night fucking his secretary. But lo and behold, they will find a different Mr. Grey here, having spent the night with his own wife." Ana continued. She kisses Christian. "Very clever Mr. Grey."

"I thought so." Christian grinned. "And I didn't think you would be adverse to a night in a hotel with me." He winks and says "I'll make it worth your while."

"Oh I'm sure you will." Ana tells Christian with a seductive smile. She reaches up to start to undo Christian's grey tie. "You did say downstairs that you wanted some fun tonight." She proceeds to undo the buttons on Christian's shirt. "By the way, who was the blonde in the bar downstairs? I trust you weren't tempted to follow in Elliott's footsteps and be unfaithful?"

"FUCK NO!" Christian exclaimed. He embraces Ana and gives her a deep kiss. "I was sitting waiting for you and going through the messages on Tiffany's phone when she appeared out of the blue. I was just about to tell her to 'fuck off' when you arrived. Your actions were much better. I love it when you release your green eyed monster."

There was a knock on the door. Christian answers the door to see Room Service delivering the bottle of champagne he ordered to be delivered. The waiter sets the ice bucket containing the bottle on the small coffee table by the loveseat in the room.

"Oh Mr. Grey! Champagne? For me? You sure do know how to treat a woman right." Ana says. She rushes and jumps in Christian's arms, wrapping her legs around his waist. "How can I thank you?" She says in a seductive voice.

"I'm sure we can think of many ways, Baby. We have all night." Christian says as he runs his hands over her ass cheeks and kisses her exposed shoulder. He sets Ana back onto her feet and pulls out his wallet. Christian winks at the waiter and gives the man a $100 bill as the tip and shows him to the door.

"Oh this is fun." Ana says. "I'm so glad you invited me. So we just bide our time until morning?" She winks at Christian and says "What ever will we do to pass the time, Sir?

Christian pops the cork of the bottle and pours champagne into the flutes that were delivered with the bucket. "I don't know. Let's just sit and enjoy the bubbly and see what pops up?" They snuggle together on the loveseat, sipping at their wine.

"How was your evening with Kate?" Christian asked as his hand starts to caress Ana's breast. He leans over and nips her lower lip. He continues to take quick nips down Ana's neck and along her shoulder.

"Hmmm…I'm having trouble thinking, let alone talking when you do that, Sir." Ana says in a raspy voice. "You want to talk about Kate and Elliott, or do you want to have fun, Sir?" Ana asks as she undoes Christian's tie and puts it around her neck.

"Kate and Elliott who?" Christian says as he stands up and pulls Ana up on her feet. He takes hold of the bottom of Ana's top and pulls it up and over her head. "Nice view, Mrs. Grey" Christian says as he steps back to eye Ana in her strapless bra and his tie hanging loose around her neck. He runs a finger along the edge of the bra cups. He grins when he hears Ana's moan.

His lips replace his finger, kissing a trail along her upper breasts pushed up by her bra. He runs his hands over Ana's back and down to the waistband of her leggings. He grips the waistband, going down onto his knees as he pulls the leggings down to Ana's ankles. Ana rests her hands on Christian's shoulders for support as he lifts her left foot to pull the legging off over her left sandal and then repeats for the right leg. Christian stands up, holding Ana's hands and steps back to runs his eyes over Ana. "Even better view, Mrs. Grey" Christian says. Ana is standing wearing only a matching lace strapless bra and thong, Christian's grey tie and high heeled sandals cuffed to her ankles.

"Come here." Christian orders as he tugs on the tie to pull Ana into his embrace. His mouth takes Ana's hostage and their tongues start to battle. Ana is barely aware of Christian's fingers undoing her bra or pulling it out from between them to toss it aside. Christian's hands run over Ana's back and down to cup both cheeks of her ass, pulling her even closer. Ana's legs instinctively part to straddle Christian's right leg. His hands continue their roaming until they grip the side strings of her thong and pull the thong down over her hips until they fall to the floor. Christian picks Ana up in his arms and carries her over to the bed. Balancing Ana in his arms, he reaches down to pull the duvet back and then he drops her onto the mattress.

"Excellent view, Mrs. Grey." Christian says as he looks lovingly at his wife, his eyes glazing over more than they already were. Ana is laying in the middle of the king sized bed nude except for her high heeled shoes and his tie still hanging loose around her neck.

"And you, Mr. Grey, are overdressed." Ana says. She lifts a leg to run her foot along Christian's leg. Christian grabs her foot and raises it to his mouth to kiss the ankle before putting her ankle over his shoulder.

"Almost perfect view, Mrs. Grey." Christian says as he gazes at his wife. With one leg on his shoulder, her sex is exposed more fully for his perusal. As he licks his lips, he says "All that's missing for perfection is your pussy gleaming from your multiple orgasms."

"Promises, promises." Ana says.

"Are you challenging me Anastasia?" Christian asks as he runs his hands up and down her leg still resting on his shoulder.

"Oh no, Sir. I know you will follow through on your promises." Ana manages to say as Christian's lips replace his hands.

Christian places Ana's leg back down on the mattress. He quickly grabs both ends of his tie and pulls the tie up under Ana's head. He takes Ana's hands in one of his and positions them on the pillows above her head. He takes the tie and binds her hands together. "What are you planning on doing, Sir?" Ana asks breathlessly.

"What. Do. You. Want. Me. To. Do?" Christian says, kissing Ana's body between each word.

"You're still overdressed." Ana says. Christian stands up beside the bed and slowly unbuttons his shirt. Ana's moans increase as Christian prolongs removing his shirt. He then toes off his shoes. As Christian's hands move to the button of his waistband, Ana is licking her lips and withering on the bed. Christian pulls his boxes down at the same time as his pants and taking off his socks when his pants are at his ankles. He picks up his pants, taking the time to hang them up in the closet. "Oh, Christian, you are killing me with these delays." Christian gives Ana his most evil, lustful smile as he walks back to the bed.

"Perfect view, Mr. Grey." Ana says as Christian stands at the foot of the bed. Ana licks her lips at the sight of Christian's massive erection. Even after all these years, she is still amazed that her body is able to accommodate him.

Christian crawls up the bed on his knees. As he gets closer to Ana, he lifts her legs and puts them over his shoulders. His teeth start making little nips on her left leg until to her upper thighs and then repeats on her right leg. When his mouth reaches Ana's right upper thigh, he shifts to start sucking on her sex. Ana's body tries to move her sex closer to Christian's mouth. She is moaning uncontrollably. "Oh yes, yes. More. Faster. Oh. Oh. I'm going to come." Ana shouts, getting louder with each word. Christian slips his tongue into her vagina and his thumb rubs her clitoris. It sends Ana over the edge and as her body moves with the waves of her orgasm, Christian licks up her juices.

Christian sits up on his knees and placing his hands on Ana's legs, pulls her closer to him and rams his cock into her still dripping pussy. He pulls back out very slowly and then rams his cock back in quickly. He keeps repeating the movements, slamming harder each time. Christian reaches his arms out and his fingers pinch Ana's nipples. "Ahh" Ana screams. "Oh Christian, I'm going to come again."

"Yes, Ana. Come for me. Come Baby!" Christian shouts as he gives another thrust. Ana spirals out of control at the same time that Christian finds his release. They collapse together on the bed, still joined.

"Oh, yes we are having fun." Ana giggles.

"I love hearing you giggle, Mrs. Grey. Rest assured, this evening's fun has only just begun." Christian says as he feels himself starting to get hard again. Feeling it as well, Ana wiggles her body. "God, woman, you'll be the death of me yet." Ana's giggles are silenced by Christian's mouth.

They eventually fall asleep in the small hours of the morning, wrapped in each other's arms, completely exhausted. They are awakened by a pounding on the door.

"What the fuck!" Christian says as he jolts awake. He tries to jostle Ana awake but she just moans and snuggles closer to him. He reaches down to quickly nip her left nipple with his teeth as he runs a hand down her stomach and slides a finger into her moist sex. Ana moans again and struggles to open her eyes. "Ana! Wake up Baby. I believe it is 'showtime'."

The pounding continues at the door and a voice says "Room Service."

"Just a minute." Christian calls. As he climbs out of bed, he turns and pulls Ana up so she's sitting up. He caresses both breasts and the nipples immediately become erect. He puts his hands at the back of Ana's neck and pulls her mouth to his for a deep kiss. He gives a quick nip to her bottom lip before pulling the duvet from the bottom of the bed and wrapping it around himself. Ana pulls the bed sheet up to partially cover her breasts.

Christian heads to the door and opens it just a crack. "We didn't order any Room Service." He tries to close the door, but a foot is positioned to block the door.

"It's on the House, Mr. Grey." The waiter says.

"Oh. In that case, please bring it in. But be quick about it. You're wasting our limited time." Christian says as he opens the door further for the cart to be rolled in. "Just leave it there by the couch." Christian says as he follows the waiter back into the hotel room. He left the door open for the waiter's departure.

He quickly turns when he is aware of someone else at the door and is briefly blinded by the glare of a camera flash. "Thanks Mr. Grey." The photographer says. "Why aren't you home with the wife? Trouble in paradise?" the photographer questions with a smirk on his face. "Does your wife know you're here? And I see you're not alone either." The photographer quickly snaps pictures of Ana still sitting up on the bed with the bed sheet pulled up to her chest, but obviously naked with a well fucked appearance about her.

"Oh Mr. Grey!" Ana exclaims. "What if your wife sees these pictures?"

Christian goes over to try to 'comfort' Ana. "Hush, Baby." Christian says as he kisses her and strokes her cheek. Ana pulls Christian's mouth down to hers. He hears the camera snap off several pictures. He turns to the photographer. "How much for the pictures, buddy?" Christian says.

"Oh, they're not for sale Mr. Grey. Someone has already paid big bucks for them." The photographer says as he rushes through the door. The waiter has long gone from the room. Christian picks up his phone from the table and calls Taylor to give him a description of the photographer.

Christian walks over to Ana and grabs her from the bed. "You were fantastic Mrs. Grey. Now we just have to wait and see where that sleazeball is going. Let's see what was delivered from room service."

An office at Seattle Times newspaper

"Are you that FUCKING stupid?" he yells at the man standing in front of him.

The other man looks at the computer monitor looking at the photos he had taken earlier in the morning at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel. "What? I think they are hot. It is obvious that Mr. Grey had spent at least part of the night fucking that woman's brains out."

"Yes. But unfortunately for you, you got the wrong Mr. Grey. You were supposed to get evidence of Mr. _Elliott_ Grey having done the nasty with his secretary. Instead, you fucking moron, you got pictures of Mr. _Christian_ Grey having fucked the hell out of his _WIFE!_" the other man continues to shout, getting very red in the face with anger. "Hot pictures, yes. But that was NOT what you were hired to do. Get out of here."

The photographer leaves the room. The other man picks up the phone to make a call. "That photographer you hired is a major fuck up! No, he got the pictures this morning of the occupants of the room you cited. Unfortunately, it wasn't Elliott Grey and his secretary. It was Christian Grey. With his wife."

"No, the pictures weren't nude. Both Greys were covered, albeit in duvet or bedsheets." He tells the person at the other end of the phone. "Ummm…you're right. Christian Grey is very possessive of his wife and jealous of other men looking at her. We might just be able to salvage something out of his fuck up. I'll see what I can do. Goodbye, Elena."


	23. Chapter 23

As arranged the night before, Christian picks up Elliott at his office and the two brothers head to Christian's penthouse apartment at Escala. Taylor pulls the vehicle up to the front to drop off the Grey brothers before leaving to do some errands. Christian will call him when they are ready to leave.

When the elevator doors open onto the foyer of the penthouse, Elliott looks around. "It's been awhile since I've been here. I never really understood why you kept it after you and Ana moved to the large waterfront house." Elliott comments to his brother.

Christian smiles and says "We found it convenient to still have something in town, especially for business entertaining. That way the house is kept for personal family events and the children's privacy is better protected. Don't you remember growing up and being paraded out for Mom and Dad's various social events and then shooed away?"

"You mentioned last night that there is another reason you've kept this place and that's why we are here? You said you're going to show me a Red Room of Pain?" Elliott says with a hesitant laugh.

"First we eat." Christian says as he heads to the kitchen. He opens the refrigerator and pulls out the containers that had been placed there earlier in the day. "Hmm, looks like Gail has outdone herself, as usual." He puts the containers in the microwave to heat up. When the microwave beeps, he removes the items and places them on the breakfast bar. Christian and Elliott sit down to eat.

"How were things last night after you got home?" Christian asks Elliott.

Elliott sighs and pushes back his plate. Christian did not berate him for not finishing his food. "Kate is still pissed at me. We did do some talking last night and promised to continue this evening. I can't believe that I almost fucked up my marriage again. When Kate and I got back together again two years ago, I vowed to Kate, and myself, that I wouldn't stray again, no matter what temptation was before me. And I haven't. Sure, I enjoy a good looking woman when I see one, but haven't felt the need to have to fuck her. I should have recognized the signs this time following Kate's pregnancy and the onset of her postpartum depression. I should have been a supportive husband instead of letting my dick control me and give in to the first woman who showed an interest in me."

"Do that from now on, Elliott. Treat your wife like you want to be treated. I don't want to have to punch you in the face again like I did when you and Kate divorced five years ago." Christian tells his brother.

Elliott rubs his nose. He remembers back to Christian's physical reaction the night the family was celebrating the birth of Mia and Ethan's first child and Christian found Elliott hitting on a woman at the bar. Earlier in the day, Elliott and Kate's divorce had been finalised – on what should have been their fifth wedding anniversary. "Yes. You broke my nose. I was afraid that you had returned to your teenage violent fighting persona. Fortunately Dad stepped in."

Christian says "No, I only planned on throwing the one punch. Of course, if you had been stupid enough to have fought back, I would have had to defend myself. I had hoped that maybe I could have knocked some sense into you. Your divorce had been finalized that day, on what should have been your fifth wedding anniversary. The day did have some good when our baby sister gave birth to her first baby and the family was celebrating that event. I was thankful that you had arrived at the hospital without your bimbo of the week, but then you had to ruin it by hitting on one at the bar. And then you started making derogatory comments about my relationship with Ana."

Elliott held up his hands in defeat. "Okay. Okay. I admit the errors of my way. I had had a good thing going with Kate and fucked it up when I felt she wasn't devoting her full attention to me. It wasn't willing to admit that Ava needed to come first and I needed to help Kate with the child care as well as looking after Kate's needs. It wasn't until I realized Kate was willing to move on with her life when she got engaged to her boss that I re-evaluated the way I was living my life. As you say, I had a bimbo of the week. The lifestyle I had gladly given up the night Kate and I met. And I was getting too old to maintain that lifestyle. Unfortunately, Ava almost died before Kate and I were able to reconcile. When Ava was fighting for her life after being hit by that car, Kate and I leaned on each other for support."

Elliott puts his head in his hands and says "And last night I almost threw it all away again."

"Yeah, well you were able to come to your senses in time – although it did take my intervention to force you to do that. Now you just have to make it up to Kate for the rest of her life." Christian tells his brother. "You were being set up. Tiffany may have wanted to get into your pants and maybe hoped to become the next Mrs. Elliott Grey, but it wasn't going to be quiet. Ana and I spent the night in the room you had rented. We were awakened at five o'clock this morning with a room serve delivery. When I opened the door, a photographer barged in and snapped numerous pictures. When I offered to buy them, he said that they weren't for sale. Someone had already paid good money for them."

"Tiffany was in on a blackmail scam?" Elliott asked.

"I don't think the plan was blackmail." Christian responded. "I believe the intent was publicity. If the pictures became public, Kate would more than likely kick you out. And Tiffany probably assumed you would turn to her for comfort."

"Tiffany did seem delusional last night that we were starting a long-term relationship. But she wouldn't have had the money to finance the publicity angle." Elliott said. "You said last night that Tiffany had been in communication with Elena Lincoln. Would she have been providing the money?"

"No, I don't believe Elena has the financial resources. My people have monitored Elena's actions over the years to ensure she stays away from Ana and our family. Somehow Elena and Tiffany became acquainted and Elena gave Tiffany advice on how to seduce you." Christian told his brother. "Taylor followed the photographer when he left the hotel this morning. He went to the _Seattle Times_ newspaper offices. He met with Simon Rogers."

"SIMON ROGERS?" Elliott yelled. "You mean Kate's former fiancé? The fucker that she would likely have married if Kate and I hadn't come to our senses when we were at Ava's beside?" Christian nods. "Does this mean that that fucker is trying to steal Kate away from me?"

Christian shrugs. He looks his brother in the eyes as says "What do you plan to do to ensure that Kate can't be stolen from you. Or walks away from you?"

Elliott draws in a deep breath and releases it. "I really don't know. Obviously, things haven't been ideal between Kate and myself recently. I can see now that we were heading down the same path as six years ago. And if you hadn't interfered last night, I would have been much further down that path." Elliott looks at his brother and questions "How the hell do you and Ana do it? After ten years and six children, you both still only have eyes for each other. Anyone not knowing your history would mistake you for newlyweds. And you've acted like that since the night you rescued her from that Portland bar after she drunk dialed you."

Christian shrugged. "We've never been able to figure it out ourselves. We were attracted to each other from the day Ana fell into my office. She didn't know what was happening, and I tried to fight it thinking I was protecting her from my fifty shades of fuckedupness. Ana did leave me when I did reveal how fucked up I was. But we were both so miserable, after five days I accepted the fact that I needed to change my lifestyle to ensure Ana was in it. During those five days I found that life wasn't worth living without Ana."

"Fuckedupness? Fifty shades?" Elliott asks. "Ana left you for five days? What did you do?"

Christian takes a deep breath. "I told you last night that I was a Dominant and had a series of Submissives rather than girlfriends. When I met Ana, I naturally wanted her as my next Submissive, but the more I learned about her, I realized that she wouldn't make a Submissive. Plus I quickly realized I wanted more with her. I wanted a life with Ana at my side, not just having her available to me every weekend to fuck hard. After I showed her my playroom, Ana was intrigued by many of the things she saw. I assured her that any pain was countered by sexual pleasure. We were still negotiating hard and soft limits when she decided she needed to know just how extreme things could be." Christian's eyes start to tear up when he continues "I used a belt on her and didn't stop until I was done as she never safe worded. She left me because she felt that I took so much enjoyment from inflicting pain that I would live to regret it if I gave it up for her. And she couldn't endure that severity."

"Holy fuck!" Elliott exclaimed. "How did you get her back?"

"As I said, those few days without Ana forced me to re-evaluate my lifestyle. I finally acknowledged that a non-Ana BSDM life was not worth living and I needed to do whatever it took to get Ana back. I was prepared for a lifetime of vanilla sex, but Ana did admit that she enjoyed the kinky fuckery she had already experienced and was willing to continue to experiment with me as her mentor. The canes, chains and whips were a hard limit to Ana, so I gladly gave them up. And I have never regretted it." Christian smiles. "We have never stopped experimenting and role playing, so I've never missed the extreme sadistic stuff."

"This playroom. That's why we're here, right? You're going to show me this playroom of yours." Elliott says.

Christian nods. "Except for the Submissives, who signed NDAs, Ana is the only person I have ever shown this room to. Jason and Gail know about the room because of the years they lived here and maintained it as part of the apartment. I believe Ana told Kate about the playroom after Kate had found a copy of the original Dominant/Submissive contract I had given Ana to peruse before signing. But Kate has never seen the room. I'm only showing it to you now with Ana's permission. Follow me."

Christian heads upstairs with Elliott following close behind. Christian stops in front of a door and pulls out a key. "I always assumed this was a storage room." Elliott said. Christian opens the door, steps in and turns the light on. Elliott follows him into the room. "HOLY FUCK!"

Elliott walks further into the room and slowly turns in a full circle trying to take in everything he sees. "HOLY FUCK!" he keeps repeating. "No wonder Ana calls it the Red Room of Pain."

"This is how you were able to control your violent ways I remember from your teenage years? You and _Ana_ make use of all these things? Ana, the _mother _of your children? Ana, who according to Kate, was a virgin before she met you?"

"Yes, _THAT_ Ana." Christian says between clenched teeth. "Careful, or I may feel the need to punch you in the nose again."

Elliott grins. He holds up his hands. "Truce, bro. Just difficult to get the images out of my mind."

"Well you better, _bro_." Christian says between clenched teeth. "I'm not showing you this room so that you can lust after my wife. I hoped that by seeing this room, you would finally have an inkling of the secret life I was leading before Ana and what I was willing to give up for a life with Ana." Christian sighs and says "Hopefully you can put it in perspective to think about your life with and without Kate."

"You think if Kate and I got into a BDSM lifestyle our sex life would be as great as yours and Ana's? I can't imagine Kate allowing me to shackle her to a cross on the wall. Or using a flogger or riding crop on her, or her on me."

"No, that wasn't my intent. Nor was I offering you the use of the playroom." Christian says. "I had hoped that by revealing my lifestyle secrets, you would see that I didn't 'settle' for Ana, my first girl friend. I had had a _very _active no-strings attached sex life with numerous partners prior to Ana and was more than willing to give it up for Ana." Christian sighs. "I hoped that you could relate that to your relationship with Kate. You had an active sex life with numerous partners before Kate and gave it up for a monogamous relationship with Kate. But when your relationship hit a bump, you returned to your pre-Kate lifestyle rather than trying to enhance your relationship with Kate."

Christian walks over to the museum chest and pulls open the various drawers to show Elliott the contents. "Granted the furniture and fixtures on the ceiling and walls may be overwhelming and extreme. But many couples use various sex toys like these to enhance their sex lives."

"Kate and I have used various sex toys over the years. We just don't have a room dedicated to sex." Elliott says with a smirk.

"But do either one of you talk to the other about new things you would like to try and experiment with? Or is it just the same old same old?" Christian asks.

"Our sex life was fantastic from the night we met. At least it was until I'm cut off when Kate is late in her pregnancy and then for weeks after giving birth." Elliott admits.

Christian looks at his brother in amazement. "Kate didn't have problem pregnancies, did she? Why were you cut off? Maybe restrictions concerning penetration, but there are many other ways for sexual fulfillment than penetration."

"Tell that to Kate." Elliott says.

Christian chuckles and says "Yeah. I can just imagine trying to get Kate Kavanaugh Grey to change her mind once it's made up." Christian looks at his brother and slyly says "You just have to seduce her until she's begging you to do certain things to her. Works wonders with Ana."

"I'm still amazed that you've been able to keep this room and your pre-Ana lifestyle a secret from the family." Elliott says.

"Like I was always so approachable?" Christian grins. "I always kept people at arm's length, so it wasn't difficult to keep it all hidden. All of you thought I was gay but not prepared to come out of the closet. And for whatever reason, not even you were prepared to open the closet door." Christian chuckles. "I can still remember the look on Mom's face the day she met Ana. Taylor had barely managed to stop from walking in on Ana and myself. I'm sure when I walked out of the bedroom, she thought I had a male lover in the room. And then sweet, shy Ana walked out of the bedroom." Elliott laughs, remembering that he had been the one encourage their mother to check up on Christian.

"Our lack of sex during and after Kate's pregnancy is bad enough, but then her depression sets in." Elliott sighs and runs his hands over his face. "Knowing Kate had suffered depression following Ava's birth, I should have been prepared for it to happen again after Elliott was born. And I should have been more supportive instead of allowing myself to turn elsewhere for comfort. I almost fell into that trap again. If you hadn't spotted me in the bar last night, my marriage would have been on the rocks again."

"Seen enough, Elliott?" Christian asks.

Elliott is still looking around the room, somewhat wide-eyed. He is still having problems wrapping his head around the fact that his brother had spent years as a Dominant, fucking the hell out of a steady stream of Submissives and his family thought he was either celibate or gay, yet to come out of the closet. But even more difficult for Elliott to comprehend is that virginal Ana participates willing in the Red Room of Pain. "Yes, I do believe I have."

As Christian locks the door from the outside, Elliott asks "May I tell Kate that I've seen the Red Room of Pain?"

"Yes, especially if you think talking about kinky fuckery will help your sex life." Christian says. "Kate can obviously keep a secret if she never told you about the unsigned contract she had found among things Ana had left behind in their apartment."

Christian texts Taylor that they are ready to leave. The Grey brothers head downstairs and Taylor is waiting at the front entrance to Escala. They drop Elliott at his office. Before pulling back into traffic Taylor asks "Where to, Mr. Grey?"

"Home." Christian smiles as he answers. He settles back in his seat and reflects on his life. Now that he has shown Elliott the playroom, he wonders how long it will be before the rest of the family is informed about it and want to see it. The thought crosses his mind that maybe it was time to dismantle it. But the thought quickly leaves as Ana seems to enjoy her time in there as well. They have many of the toys duplicated at home and have been able to keep them locked up, away from the children's eyes. But some things like the cross and bench are difficult to have in the family home. He closes his eyes and pictures the playroom as he asks himself whether he could totally leave this life behind. "_No you can't, you fucking bastard. Just be sure that you are satisfied with all that Ana is willing to do, otherwise you'll lose everything you really value in your life. It's all about control and the choices one makes about how to control oneself." _ Christian tells himself.

His eyes close when he thinks how close he had been to losing everything a few years ago. The advice he had given Elliott for his relationship with Kate came from personal experience as he himself had almost given in to temptation. Christian reflects back to the day that could have been the beginning of the end of his life with Ana and their children.


	24. Chapter 24

**Flashback 5 years earlier:**

"Ana, enough! I don't want to leave you here alone to deal with two toddlers when you are six months

pregnant with twins. You know Dr. Greene has ordered you to bed rest for the balance of your pregnancy." Christian says forcefully as he runs his hands through his hair. "I'd rather lose the deal than leave you alone in Seattle." His presence was required in New York to finalize a deal. Ana usually travelled with him, as he with her when she needed to travel on business, but travel was currently not an option for Ana.

Ana struggles out of her chair to stand in front of her husband to glare at him with both hands on her hips. "Christian Trevelyan Grey. I will NOT be responsible for your business deal falling through. I'll arrange for Kate or Grace to be available to help with Teddy and Phoebe if Gail isn't." Ana waddles over to husband and puts her hands around his neck to pull his lips down to hers for a kiss. She plays with his tie as she says "And I'll start looking into hiring a nanny for the children."

Christian yells "Finally!" and captures Ana's mouth for a deep kiss. Their tongues battle each other and they are both breathless when they break apart. Christian's arms are wrapped around Ana.

Ana leans back in her husband's arms and bites her lips. "I've been naughty, Sir. I think need to be punished."

Christian groans as his fingers pull her bottom lip from her teeth. "Fuck woman, you know what that does to me. I'd love to put your over my shoulder and drive us over to Escala to spend the rest of the day in the playroom. But you know that's off limits until after the birth of the twins." He caresses her face before lightly brushing her lips with his. "I don't want to risk anything happening to you or the babies."

Ana wraps her arms around Christian's neck. "I don't know if I can last that long. How will you survive? With Teddy and Phoebe we were able to play well into the pregnancies."

"But this time you're pregnant with twins and on doctor's orders for bed rest due to your high stress levels." Christian reminds her as he caresses her belly. "I'll just have to manage for the sake of Thing 1 and Thing 2." Christian grins as he adds " We just need to continue to be inventive."

Ana smiles at her loving husband. "Go to New York. You know as well as I do that if you don't go and the deal falls through, you will regret that you didn't do everything possible. I'm sure once you're there, they'll be so overwhelmed by the Christian Grey charisma that they'll sign on the dotted line and you'll be back to me and the children in a day or two."

Christian reluctantly boarded the GEH jet the next morning for New York. He spent most of the trip smiling, remembering the new inventive ways for sex that both he and Ana had come up with the previous night. It was a wonder that he could walk today.

Ana's prediction of Christian's charisma quickly sealing the deal was incorrect. But after a couple of days of difficult negotiations, Christian was finally making headway in closing the deal of purchasing Lorenzo Investments. The company was small, but owned some prime real estate in New York which was a great interest to Christian. At the end of each day, Christian was mentally drained, but his highlight each evening was the video call with Ana, Teddy and Phoebe on his laptop after he had returned to the apartment. Each night was becoming more frustrating seeing Ana and not being able to touch her or feel her touch. After talking to the children and sending them off to bed, Ana would call Christian back and they would have a round or two of video sex. Christian would be satisfied briefly but by the next morning, his frustration would return, the level increasing each day. He was in need of a good hard fuck.

An agreement was finally reached in the evening of the fifth day and Stefano Lorenzo, the CEO of Lorenzo Investments insisted that they toast the deal with champagne and a late dinner. Christian was anxious to get back to Seattle, but agreed to accompany Stefano and his assistant Gabriella Romano to a nearby restaurant.

During dinner, Christian felt himself relaxing for the first time since he had arrived in New York. The deal was done to his satisfaction and he would be heading back to Seattle first thing in the morning. He would have preferred to fly back to Seattle overnight, but he hadn't thought the deal would be finalized this evening and didn't have Stephen on stand-by prepared to fly the jet.

Over dinner, they all shared stories of their personal lives. Christian was surprised to learn that Stefano and Gabriella were not a couple. During the negotiations, they were so in synch with each other Christian assumed they had a personal, as well as a business, relationship. Stefano was over six feet and looked extremely fit for a man in his mid-fifties and quite distinguished with his salt and pepper hair. Gabriella was very statuesque and tall as well, especially in the high heeled shoes she wore. Christian hadn't realized how long her black wavy hair was as she normally wore it pulled back in a bun during their business meetings. When the trio had arrived at the restaurant, Gabriella had excused herself to the washroom and when she rejoined the men she had undergone a transformation from business chic to drop dead gorgeous. Her hair was loose, falling in waves down her back and several buttons were undone on her blouse. Christian found himself having to readjust himself in his seat and noticed Stefano doing the same.

While waiting for the food, Christian had pulled out his wallet to show pictures of Ana and his children, Stefano showed off pictures of his grandchildren. Christian noticed that Gabriella sat back with a smirk on her face, watching the two businessmen showing off their families.

Christian asked "Gabriella, do you have a partner and/or children?"

Gabriella shuddered and replied "No. I was married once, but that was enough." She looked Christian straight in the eye and purred "Although, I'd be willing to change my mind if the right man came along and was able to convince me differently." As she spoke, Christian felt her foot start to caress his leg under the table. He shifted his leg. Gabriella smiled slyly as she picked up her champagne glass and ran her tongue around the rim. Christian noticed that another button on her blouse were undone. "Christian, would you be a dear and pour me a refill?" she asked softly as she held the glass out to Christian, leaning across the table to give him a view of her massive cleavage. Being the gentleman that he was trained to be, Christian picked up the bottle from the ice bucket and found it empty. Stefano signalled the waiter to bring another bottle and everyone's glass was refilled.

"Christian, are you flying back to Seattle this evening?" Lorenzo asks.

"It's tempting, but it would be short notice for my pilot to do the flight plan. When I spoke with him late this afternoon, I didn't think we would get the deal finished today and I believe he was making plans with friends for the evening." Christian replied.

"Well in that case, you may want to continue celebrating this evening at a local club. Here is a guest pass." Stefano says as he slips a card across the table to Christian. Christian does a double take when he reads the card as he recognizes the name as a BDSM club Elena took him to once years ago when he was still a student at Harvard and visited Elena while she was in New York. He pockets the card trying not to give any indication that he recognized the name. "Just let the hostess know what you would like and she'll ensure that you are accommodated." Stefano adds with a wink.

When he finishes his latest glass of champagne, Stefano stands and says "Well, I guess it's time I head home to my lovely wife and family." He is a bit unsteady on his feet as he turns and extends his hand to Christian. "Christian, it has been a pleasure doing business with you. My wife will be most relieved that I'm finally going to retire and take her on the around the world trip I've always promised her. Please stay and help Gabriella finish off the bottle. It would be a shame to let good champagne go to waste." As Christian sits back down, he sees Gabriella smile slyly at him.

Gabriella says "Good night Stefano. I'll take care of Christian. I'll see you in the office tomorrow." Stefano leans down to kiss Gabriella on her cheek before saying goodnight.

After Stefano leaves, Christian pours another glass of champagne for himself and Gabriella which finishes off the bottle. They chat about various places in New York. When they finish their glasses, Christian says "Well, I think I need to call it a night. It's been several long days and I'll be travelling tomorrow." Christian pulls out his phone and sends a text to Taylor to bring the car around. Taylor immediately texts back to say he would be out front in five minutes.

He looks at Gabriella as she stands up and sways slightly on her high heels. "I don't feel right putting you alone in a cab. I'll have my driver drive you home."

Gabriella smiles a bright smile and runs her finger over Christian's tie. "That's sounds like a plan." She wraps her hand around his tie and pulls his face to hers. "But I'm not going home just yet. I'm going to my club." She pulls his head down to whisper in his ear. "You _are_ going to use the pass Steafno gave you, aren't you? I saw the recognition in your eyes when you read the card and you didn't reject it."

Christian puts his hands on her arms to pull her away. "No I'm not. After we drop you off, I'm going back to my apartment to unwind and pack to fly back to my wife and children tomorrow." Christian says in a firm voice.

"Can't fault a girl for trying." Gabriella pouts. She steps back from Christian to pick up her purse from the chair. As she bends from the waist, she is well aware of Christian's eyes scanning her legs from her high heels to the top of her short skirt. She is well aware that her position will reveal her thigh high stockings and lack of panties.

As they start to walk away from their table, Gabriella sways again. Christian puts his arm around her waist to balance her and they proceed to the door. Gabriella leans into Christian, ensuring that her breast is rubbing against his arm and Christian is unable to put distance between them without causing a scene. Once outside, Christian sees Taylor stepping out of the SUV to open the rear door. As he helps Gabriella into the vehicle, Christian tells Taylor that they will be giving Ms Romano a ride and she will give Taylor the address.

Christian gets in the other side of the SUV and fastens his seatbelt. Gabriella gives Taylor the address of the club and Taylor enters it into the GPS for directions. Gabriella shifts from her seat to the middle to run her hand along Christian's thigh. "Are you sure you don't want to accompany me to the club? I'm sure you would be able to unwind there rather than all alone in your apartment." Christian put his hand on hers to stop her caress. "Just think of the fun we could have." She took his hand in hers and repositioned their hands on her thigh and moves his hand up her thigh under her skirt. "I've been a naughty girl. I forgot my panties and I need to be punished. Wouldn't you like to punish me, Sir?" she whispers.

Christian removes his hand and runs it through his hair. "No! I don't want to punish your or go to your club. I'm a married man and I love my wife and children."

Gabriella puts her hand back on Christian's thigh and runs it up towards his crotch. "Well, I think you're lying about not wanting to go to the club and I have the evidence under my hand." She smirks as she feels his cock hardening. As she reaches for his zipper, she leans over to run several kisses along his neck before nipping at his earlobe. She whispers in his ear "What happens in New York can stay in New York. No one but you and I need to know." She takes hold of him through his pants and continues rubbing. "Oh my, you are large." Her tongue circles her lips. Christian puts his hand on hers to pull it away from his crotch. She whispers "I can't wait for you to ram all of that into my ass. I'm so wet for you right now." Instead of pushing her hand away, he realizes his hand has pushed hers closer to his erection. She smirks as she feels Christian's cock twitch in her hands at her words.

The SUV comes to a stop and Taylor opens the rear door for Gabriella. Before she steps out, she squeezes Christian's erection and purrs "You know you want to." She lifts her hand from his crotch and caresses his hair. "I can feel your need to unleash your frustrations that have been building all week." She leans closer and whispers in his ear "Just give in to your desires. You'll feel much better." She slides across the back seat towards the open door, making sure her skirt rides up as much as possible to remind Christian that she is pantiless.

As she stands up, she runs her hands over the ass of her skirt to straighten it. She smiles to herself as she sees Christian close his eyes briefly, running his hands through his hair, before undoing his seat belt and opening his door to step out. When he joins her on the sidewalk, she slips her arm around his waist under his suit jacket. She leans in to whisper in his ear "I'll make it worth your while and you won't regret it."

Christian turns to speak to Taylor. "I'll call you when I'm ready to leave." He puts his arm around Gabriella's waist before sliding his hand down to caress her ass. They turn to walk up to the front door of the brownstone that houses the club. The only marking on the building is the street number.

Christian's hand is reaching to press the doorbell when Taylor calls out in a clipped voice "Mr. Grey. May I speak to you?" Christian turns and lifts an eyebrow. "In private, Sir."

"Make it quick." Christian snaps. He drops his arm from around Gabriella goes back down the stairs to where Taylor is standing beside the SUV. Before he reaches Taylor, his phone rings. Both he and Taylor recognize the ring tone as Ana's. Taylor lifts an eyebrow to Christian. With a sigh, Christian closes his eyes and answers his phone. "Hello Ana." He says with a strained voice.

"Christian! Are you alright? You sound strange." Ana says, concerned that the stress and frustrations of the business negotiations were taking their toll on her husband.

Christian clears his throat and in a normal voice responds "Yes, I'm alright Baby. I'm looking forward to coming home to you and the children first thing tomorrow morning. Everything okay with you and the children?"

"Yes, we are fine. Missing you and looking forward to your return home. You hadn't done a video call and I was afraid there was something wrong. Teddy and Phoebe are about to go to bed, but wanted to say goodnight to their Daddy." Her voice changes to her bedroom voice that drives Christian wild. "And I wanted to show you my new outfit."

Christian groans. "We finally managed to wrap things up this evening and I'll be flying home first thing in the morning. You can model it for me then. I'm looking forward to it." He says in his Dominant voice. He changes his voice and says "Put the kids on so I can say goodnight to them." He talks to Teddy and Phoebe for a few minutes before Ana comes back on the phone again.

"I miss you Christian. Always remember that I love you Baby." Ana says. Her voices changes to her sexy bedroom voice "I can't wait to model my new outfit for you."

"I love you too Baby. And I've been missing you too." Christian says. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye for now."

Christian hangs up and turns to Taylor. "Taylor there was something you needed to speak to me about?" Before Taylor has a chance to answer, Gabriella has walked back to where the men are standing and touches Christian on his arm.

"Sir, I've been waiting for you." She whispers in a submissive tone. "I'm about to burst with my desire for you and we are wasting time standing out here." She runs her finger up and down his sleeve. "You are so tense and you have so much frustration built up in you that you need to release. And I'm sooo looking forward to helping you find that release." She whispers in his ear "My body is yours to do with as you will. No one else will ever know about tonight." She then nips his earlobe.

Christian grabs her hand away from his arm and drops it down to her side. "Sorry Ms Romano. _ I_ would know. I've changed my mind about joining you in your club. My sanity has returned. I'm sorry to say that you caught me in a weak moment, which I trust I'll never experience again."

Gabriella quickly suppresses her gasp and steps close to Christian, pressing her breasts to his chest. She says slyly "Are you sure about that?" She shifts so that one leg rubs against Christian's crotch and she can feel his erection is still as hard as it was in the car. As she runs a finger across his jaw and then circles his lips, she says "I think your body is telling me something different."

Christian steps back. "Talking to my wife always makes me hard." He smirks. "It's been good doing business with you, Ms Romano, but our business is done. It's time I return to my wife and children in Seattle. I hadn't realized just how much I missed them until a couple of minutes ago."

Gabriella does not try to suppress her gasp this time as Christian turns to head to the SUV. Taylor quickly gets to the door of the vehicle first to hold the open for his boss. As he shuts the door, Taylor releases a sigh of relief. As Taylor turns to head to the driver's door, he manages to sneak a peek at Gabriella and sees that she is entering the club. Taylor breathes easier as he pulls away from the curb.

"Taylor, you still haven't told me what you wanted to speak to me about." Christian says from the rear seat.

"Sorry Sir. I can't remember now." Taylor says with a smile.

"Getting forgetful are you, Taylor?" Christian asks with a smirk. "Contact Stephen. See how quickly he can get the jet ready to return to Seattle. I'd rather leave tonight rather than waiting until the morning."

"On it Sir." Taylor says. "Oh Sir?" Taylor questions.

"Yes?" Christian responds.

"You appear to have a red stain on your shirt collar. I'm sure Gail would be able to get the stain out when she does the laundry."

"Fuck!" Christian says as he realizes that Gabrielle's lipstick is on his shirt collar. "Be sure I throw this shirt away as soon as we get to the apartment."

"Yes Mr. Grey." Taylor says. _"Thank fuck he's come to his senses. I hope Ana never knows just what perfect timing her phone call was. I was just about to give Christian an ultimatum in the hopes that he would come to his senses. If he entered that club, I was resigning from his employment. There was no way in fucking hell that I would have been able to look Ana in the eye if I would be viewed as condoning Christian's infidelity. It was bad enough he allowed that skank to fondle him and even went so far as grabbing her ass."_


	25. Chapter 25

**Present Day**

Christian runs his hands through his hair as he remembers how close he had come five years ago to being unfaithful to Ana. Ana is still the only woman he has ever had any desire to make love to, but that one evening he had let his sexual frustration control his mind as well as his body and had almost given in to temptation for some BDSM and hard fucking with a more than willing woman. He will always be thankful for Ana's timely phone call that evening. Just hearing her voice was enough for sanity to return and enable him to control his body's need for sexual release. That business trip had been the longest he and Ana had ever been apart – even longer than the time she had left him early in their relationship. Although Christian had never been tempted since that almost fateful night in New York, Christian has always ensured to never be apart from Ana for that length of time again.

With his memories of that night five years ago still in his mind, he remembers Taylor calling him back from the door of the club to speak to him about something. Ana's phone call had interrupted them and they never did have their conversation as Taylor claimed he had forgotten what he wanted to say.

"Jason?" Christian asks.

"Yes, Christian?" Taylor asks hesitantly, somewhat surprised that Christian is addressing him by his first name.

"Five years ago when we were in New York to close the Lorenzo deal, you had wanted to speak to me about something in private and we were interrupted by a phone call from Ana. By the time I completed the call, you said you had forgotten what you had wanted to speak to me about. Have you ever remembered? At the time, you seemed most insistent on talking to me."

"Umm…" Taylor says as he is trying to decide how to answer. "Why are you asking about this now?"

"Spit it out Jason. I've never known you to be so undecided about something." Christian says with a smirk. "With various things that have happened during the past couple of days, I've just been reflecting back on that week in New York and I remembered about your urgency that night to speak to me and then suddenly you seemed to have had forgotten what you wanted to speak to me about."

"Permission to speak freely…Christian?" Taylor asks.

"Yes, Jason." Christian responds.

"You remember that you were about to accompany Ms Romano to a certain club?" Jason asks.

"Yes." Christian answers in a grim voice. "I almost fucked up my life that evening by giving into the temptation of Gabriella Romano. I've always been thankful that Ana called just at that moment. And hearing her voice was enough to bring me back to reality."

"The reason I wanted to speak to you in private was that I was going to give you my verbal resignation." Taylor informs Christian as he looks in the rear view mirror to see Christian's reaction. He sees Christian's eyes widen and then the grey eyes look questioningly at Taylor. "I wasn't going to stand by and condone you cheating on Ana. If you went into that club with Ms Romano, I wasn't going to wait around for you, nor help to cover up your actions. But Ana's phone call made you see reason, so I didn't have to give you an ultimatum. Or put my job on the line."

"I'm glad you have my back Jason." Christian says. "And Ana's too." He continues with a smirk. "I don't believe I've ever said this to you, but thank you for being a good friend Jason."

"Thank you Sir." Jason says with a smile.

"We need to never speak of that night again." Christian says.

"What night, Mr. Grey?" Jason says.

"You've earned yourself a pay raise, Taylor." Christian smirks. "And my undying loyalty to you."

"Perfect timing." Ana says as she steps out of her SUV at the front door of their home. She walks over to Christian as he steps out of his SUV. Christian sets his computer bag to the ground and pulls Ana into his arms. Ana's bag drops to the ground as she wraps her arms around Christian's neck to pull his mouth to hers. It is several minutes before they break apart, both gasping for air. Neither were aware of Taylor and Sawyer driving the vehicles away to park in the garage.

"Oh my! Mr. Grey! You take my breath away." Ana says when she gets her breath back. "If this is the greeting I get after you show someone the Red Room of Pain, I think we should open it up as a tourist attraction."

Christian runs his hands over Ana's back and down over her hips to squeeze her ass. "Don't even think it. I don't think a lot of people could handle it. Fuck, even a former man-whore like Elliott was overwhelmed." Christian grins as he adds "And he couldn't believe that shy virginal Ana Steele has eagerly participated in using the room."

"I wished I'd been there to have seen his reaction. I know I was overwhelmed when you first showed me your playroom. But at that point I hadn't even had vanilla sex, let alone any of that kinky fuckery." Ana says. She giggles before adding "But even though I had no experience, I was certainly intrigued and my imagination worked overtime trying to envision how various things were used." Ana's blue eyes meet Christian's grey eyes as she adjusts his grey silk tie. "And wondering when you were going to show me how to use them."

Christian grins his most sexiest grin. "I guess you were just a wanton woman waiting to be unleashed. I'm glad I was the one to unleash you." He winks and adds "And leash you too on occasion."

"If Elliott couldn't envision me in the Red Room of Pain, should I wear my black leather corset the next time we have dinner with Kate and Elliott?" Ana asks cheekily. Christian gives her a quick swat on the ass. "Ouch!"

"Mrs. Grey, you know that corset, or any corset for that matter, is for my eyes only." Christian says.

"Yes Sir." Ana says. "How about now?" Ana whispers seductively. "Oh…I guess not. We've been spotted by the rugrats." She says as she sees the front door is opening and spots a sea of copper and brown hair.

"Daddy!" "Mommy!" the children yell. Christian and Ana both turn and welcome their children with open arms. It is family time now, but they both know that Christian/Ana time will be later after the children are in bed. And neither one of them would want it any other way.

As Christian puts his arm around Ana's to walk into their home, he once again is thankful that he had not given in to the temptation of Gabriella Romano to release his frustration that night five years ago in New York. No doubt Ana would have kicked him out. And rightly so he tells himself. He briefly closes his eyes at the thought that it wouldn't have taken Ana long to find another man. One who was not fifty shades of fucked up and be able to give her everything she deserved.


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's note: **Judging by some of the reviews and pm's since my last postings people are concerned that this story is going down the cheating path. Please rest assured that it isn't. Elliott's potential infidelity caused Christian to reflect back to a time when he was faced with a moral dilemma himself and the choices made. More reflections and consequences to come in future chapters.

* * *

Christian steps out of the SUV and stands in front of the door to a shop in a small strip mall in Portland Oregon . The sign on the door reads 'Elena's Hair & Beauty'. He briefly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. _"I never wanted to see that bitch again after her actions ten years ago. I was still trying to come to terms with being a father when I ran into her and we went for a drink. I didn't reveal to her of my impending fatherhood, but during our conversation she made it quite clear that she was open to resuming our sexual relationship. Her actions that evening forced me to finally acknowledge she was a pedophile when she seduced me at the age of fifteen. But I need to do this to find out just what her involvement is with trying to ruin Elliott's marriage. And to circumvent any plans she has to do interfere in my life again."_

He opens the door and walks in. There are several hair stylists working on clients, but none of them are Elena Lincoln. A teenage boy is sweeping up the hair on the floor. Christian's eyes narrow when he realizes that the boy is wearing a long sleeves shirt, despite the hot day. A woman walks out from a back room and stops short when she recognizes the man who had just entered her salon. The past ten years has not been kind to Elena Lincoln. Her face may be wrinkle free, but show the obvious signs of multiple face lifts. "Hello Elena." Christian says through clenched teeth.

Her eyes light up and she smiles slyly. She extends her arms as she walks across the room. "Christian Grey! Welcome. What brings you here? Is your lovely wife with you?" She is forced to drop her arms when Christian side steps her attempt at an embrace.

"Anastasia and our children are fine. Life has never been better." Christian says and smirks when he hears Elena's sharp intake of breath at the mention of his family. "Marrying Ana and having the children are the best decisions I ever made. They make my life complete."

Elena reaches out with one hand to touch Christian's arm, but he evades her touch once again. "Christian, what can I do for you?"

Christian reaches into his breast pocket of his suit jacket and pulls out several papers. He hands them to Elena. "Care to explain these emails you sent to Tiffany Andrews encouraging her to seduce Elliott?"

"Christian, Tiffany has been a client for a number of years and even when she moved to Seattle a few months ago, she still returns here for her haircuts. On her first visit after moving to Seattle, she was raving about her new boss and how she was attracted to him. She felt that there was a mutual attraction, but he was resisting because he was married, although not happily. She hadn't mentioned where she worked, or the boss' name. I gave her some advice. On her next visit, she thanked me as some of the things I had suggested seemed to be working. I think it was on that visit that she mentioned where she was working. It didn't matter to me. Everyone is free to make their own choices. The choice would be Elliott's whether he would fuck Tiffany or not."

"What were your plans for the photos taken at the hotel room?" Christian asked through clenched teeth.

Elena's eyes gleam as she realizes that Christian is having difficulty keeping his anger under check. She once again reaches out to touch him, but he once again avoids the contact. "Tiffany was concerned that even if she got Elliott into bed, he would somehow manage to keep it secret from his wife. She didn't want to be just a mistress. But if the photos of obvious adultery were made public, a divorce would be a sure thing. It's not like that blond bitch didn't dump him before when he got caught with his pants down. Tiffany would be there to console him and become his next wife."

"Fuck! You are such a FUCKING bitch! I can't believe it took me so long to finally see it. I'm glad I was finally able to so ten years ago." Christian says. Elena is taken aback at the venom in his voice. "DO NOT FUCK with _ANYONE_ in my family. Or you will live to regret it Elena".

"And what will you do? You already forced me into bankruptcy in Seattle and I had to relocate to Portland to try to re-establish myself. But at least I'm stronger than Linc. He committed suicide after you forced _him_ into bankruptcy." Elena hissed. "And after all I did for you. I made you into the man that became a billionaire – at the expense of my marriage. And you use those billions to ruin our lives."

"Elena, you may have staked my first business venture with Linc's money – which I paid back to you tenfold. Long before I became a billionaire, by the way. But Anastasia is the one that made turned this billionaire into a man. Before Ana I was just a shell and only existed. She gave me a reason to finally live." Christian says. "I have to admit, at this point I don't know what I will do. I guess it depends on just what you do. You should certainly understand the concept of punishment."

Christian turned and walked out the door without saying goodbye. When he steps outside, his eyes light up and he smiles his mega-watt smile. Standing beside the SUV is Ana. She walks towards him with open arms. He moves quickly to her and pulls her into an embrace. Ana pulls his mouth down to hers and slips her tongue into his mouth to battle with his. After several minutes, they break apart and both draw deep breaths. "Oh Ana. What you do to me." Christian says as he leans his forehead on hers.

"Who me?" Ana giggles. She then rolls her eyes while biting her lip. Christian laughs and swats her ass. They get into the SUV.

"Home Mr. Grey?" Taylor asks from the driver's seat.

"First, drive around to the back of this building." Christian says. Ana raises an eyebrow. "I want to check something. Hopefully it won't take too long."

Taylor drives around to the alley at the back of the building. Christian sits in the vehicle staring at the service entrance to Elena's salon. A few minutes later he sees the boy from the salon come through the door with a bag of garbage for the dumpster. Christian steps out of the SUV and approaches the boy.

"Hello. I'm Christian Grey." Christian extends his hand and the boy takes it to shake.

"I'm Andrew Downing." he tells Christian. He tries to pull his hand away from Christian's. Instead of releasing his hand, Christian uses his other hand to grip Andrew's arm and pull up his shirt sleeve. Andrew pulls away with a frightened look in his eyes.

"Andrew. You don't need to be afraid of me." Christian softly says. "I recognize the signs. Those are handcuff marks, right? That's why you're wearing a long sleeved shirt in the heat. Would I see welts and other marks on your back and chest if you removed your shirt? Did Elena Lincoln do this to you?"

Andrew closes his eyes, but refuses to say anything. Christian continues "You wonder why I recognize the signs? I was in a similar relationship with Elena at one time. It started when I was only fifteen. How old are you?"

"Fifteen." Andrew says quietly. "But our relationship is consensual." he says defiantly.

Christian briefly closes his eyes. He opens his eyes and stares into Andrew's eyes. "I thought that too at the time, as well as a number of years after that. But it is not right. Elena is a predator and her having sex with someone your age is statutory rape."

"I don't care. Elena gives me a reason to live." Andrew says.

"Well Andrew. I'm not your parent, so I can't tell you how to live your life. But I hope that you will eventually see the wrong of this. It took the unconditional love of a woman and impending fatherhood for me to finally acknowledge that my earlier relationship with Elena was wrong." Christian told him. He pulls a pen and a case out of his jacket pocket and extracts a business card. He writes his personal cell phone number on the back and hands it to Andrew. "Here is my card with my personal cell number. Do not show it to Elena. Contact me anytime, day or night, when the need arises."

Christian is relieved when Andrew takes the card and puts it into his wallet. Without saying goodbye, Andrew turns and goes back inside the building. Christian takes a couple of steps towards the SUV before turning quickly and heading to an isolated spot. He bends over, holding his tie to his chest and throws up. Ana quickly jumps out of the SUV to run over to her husband. By the time Ana reaches Christian, he is standing upright and wiping his mouth with his handkerchief. He steps away from the area and Ana pulls him into her arms. She leads him back to the SUV. Taylor is standing at the side of the vehicle with a water bottle. Ana takes it from him and hands it to Christian. He takes some water and rinses his mouth out. Ana reaches up to kiss her husband.

"Jason, please take us home now." Ana says once she and Christian are back in the vehicle. She pulls Christian into her arms for the trip back to Seattle. In the ten years that she has known Christian, she has never seen him like this. In all his fifty shades, he has many moods and has been known to switch from one to another in the blink of an eye. But Ana has never seen him this quiet and morose. She is not sure whether to be concerned as to what he will do next. She is well versed in how to deal with his anger and control. But now he looks like a broken man.

All that she can think to do, is what she has always done: show him her unconditional love and support. She continues to keep her arms wrapped around him, much like she does with any of the children when they are upset, hurt or not feeling well. She is relieved when he snuggles up to her, leaning his head on her shoulder. A short time later, she realizes he has fallen asleep. She is surprised that he stayed asleep for the remainder of the trip back to Seattle. Even the motion of the car stopping in front of the house did not wake him. Christian only awakes when she jostles him awake. Even then he tries to snuggle up back in her arms. He only comes fully awake when she is able to extract herself from his arms. It was as if the absence of her nurturing body triggered him awake.

"We're home, Baby. Come, let's get you to bed." Ana says softly to him. She helps him out of the car, and he tries to lean on her for support. Taylor helps support him on the other side. As they approach the front door, it is opened by Gail with a surprised look on her face. She has never seen her employer in this condition.

Hearing the car arrive home, the children had gathered in the front foyer to welcome their parents home. Their eyes grow huge when they see their father being supported by their mother and Taylor. Christian sees the sea of grey and blue eyes staring at him. He closes his eyes briefly and when he opens them, he stands upright. Ana and Taylor drop their hold on him. Christian bends down onto his knees and gathers his children into his arms. Ana stands by, with tears coming down her face. She looks at Gail and sees the tears flowing down her face. When Ana looks at Taylor, she was sure there are tears in his eyes as well.

Ana walks over to stand behind Christian and caresses his shoulders. "Why are you crying, Daddy?" Christiana asks. Ana kneels down to join in on the family group hug and to give extra moral support to Christian.

Christian sits down on the floor in the middle of the foyer and gathers Christiana onto his lap. "Well, Sweetie, Daddy had a really shi… bad day. But things are much better now that I'm in the arms of my loving children and wife."

Carrick joins his twin on their father's lap. He smiles and reaches under Christian's suit jacket to try to tickle his father. "Would Tickle Monster help, Daddy?" he asks. Before Christian can respond, all the children jump on their father to tickle him, knocking him off balance so that he is lying on his back.

When Christian sees Ana start to smirk and about to join in, he starts tickling everyone until he is able to regain his balance. Between laughs, Christian says "Yes, I think it would. But first, Mommy and I need to change out of our work clothes. And I believe Mrs. Taylor has dinner almost ready. Go get ready for dinner. After dinner, we'll play Tickle Monster." He stands up and takes Ana by the hand and heads upstairs.

As soon as their bedroom door is closed, Christian gathers Ana into his arms. "Thank you Ana for being with me today. I am so glad I had your support." He gives her a deep kiss. "I love you, my dearest Anastasia." Christian closes his eyes and leans his head on Ana's shoulder. "It made me sick when I saw the handcuff marks on that boy's wrists. That bitch is ruining another fifteen year old boy's life. He's just six years older than Teddy. She has to be stopped."

Ana strokes Christian's hair. "I love you too, my darling Christian. We'll do whatever we can." She tells him.

He lifts his head and looks her in the eye. "Yes, we will." He vows. He cups Ana's face in his hands, gray eyes holding blue eyes. "You realize that will probably mean that I will need to reveal my secrets – at least to the police. If it goes to court, it will be public. Are you prepared for the publicity? And the affect it will have on our family?"

Ana continues the eye contact and cups Christian's face in her hands. "Yes I do. I'm with you every step of the way. The children are young enough that I don't think they'll understand most of what will be in the news. We have to take that Bitch Troll down. I knew we should have done it ten years ago."

"Oh, Ana. I love it when you get riled up." Christian smirks. He runs his hands down her body to cup her ass and draw her closer to his body. "It makes me hard."

"Mr. Grey! Anything I do makes you hard." Ana smiles. "Let's shower to wash away the dirt and filth we encountered today so we can enjoy family time." As she walks to the bathroom, she wiggles her ass more than usual and throws a come hither look over her shoulder to her husband. Christian smiles as he removes his suit jacket and tie before following his wife to the bathroom.

They both strip off their clothes and step into the shower. As Christian washes Ana, he runs his hand over her sex and inserts a finger into her vagina. At her gasp, he inserts a second finger and strokes her. "You're always so ready for me, Ana." He says as he turns her around and pushes her towards the shower wall.

She raises both hands to the wall to support herself and pushes her ass back to rub against Christian's erection. "And you're always so ready for me, Christian." She says as he thrusts into her. "Fuck me hard!"

Christian grabs Ana by the waist and pushes her against the wall of the shower. He enters her from behind and then pulls out and thrusts into her a couple more times. "Oh fuck." Christian shouts as he thrusts one more time, sending them both over the edge. Ana turns around to face Christian, pulling his mouth down to hers for a quick, hard, kiss. They resume washing each other before rinsing off. Christian shuts off the water and steps out of the shower and wraps a towel around his waist. He grabs another towel and wraps it around Ana.

They dry themselves off and return to the bedroom to dress. Christian dresses in black jeans and a white t-shirt with the saying 'Tickle Monster' on the front. Ana dresses in blue jeans and a sapphire blue t-shirt saying 'Mrs. Tickle Monster' on the front. The t-shirts had been gifts from Santa Claus the previous Christmas. Neither bother with socks or shoes. They walk hand in hand downstairs to join their children at the dinner table.

At the dinner table, Christian helps Jason eat while Ana does the same with Lucas. The other four children eagerly eat their dinner as they know that they will get to play Tickle Monster with Daddy after dinner. From the time they were able to feed themselves, the children were taught to eat everything on their plate.

During dinner, Christian and Ana listen to the children's stories of what they did during the day. Despite their busy schedule, both Ana and Christian try to be home for dinnertime with the children. They try to juggle their out of town business trips so that at least of them is home for dinner. On the rare times that both parents are together on an extended trip, arrangements are made for a video call so that the children can update their parents on their day's activities.

Once everyone has finished eating, Carrick and Christiana clear the table and take the dirty dishes to the kitchen. They know to put what can be placed in the dishwasher and what needs to be placed at the sink for Teddy and Phoebe to wash by hand. Christian cleans up Jason and Lucas while Ana supervises the dish cleaning. When Ana believed that Teddy was old enough to start doing chores around the house, she fought with Christian to instil a sense of duty in Teddy. Christian was insistent that Gail Taylor and others were available to do such chores. Ana put her foot down that even though Teddy was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he needed to know how to clean it and not expect others follow him around cleaning up after him. As usual, when it came to the home and children, Christian caved in to Ana's wishes. Over the years, Christian had learned when to pick his battles with Ana, just as she did with Christian. And it always equalled out in the bedroom or playroom.

Once the dining room and kitchen were cleaned up, Ana and the older children join Christian and the youngest twins in the Family Room. Christian was sitting on the floor playing with the twin boys. Carrick and Christiana ran to their father and started tickling him. He let them push him over onto his back and all six children join in the attack. Ana stands at the doorway watching them, tears forming in her eyes. She remembers the time when Christian could not tolerate anyone, even her or Grace, to touch him on the chest. But now he welcomes the intimate touching from his family, especially her and the children. Christian looks across the room and locks eye contact with Ana. He sees her glistening eyes, smiles and blows her a kiss.

Christian manages to thwart the children's attacks to stand up and then starts chasing them around the room. He picks up Teddy and carries him to a sofa before dropping him on the cushions and starts tickling him. As the other children try to come to Teddy's defense, Christian does the same to them. The louder the children scream with joy, the more Christian laughs. Christian whispers something to the children and they laugh. Before Ana realizes the reason for Christian's smirk, she is attacked by six sets of hands tickling her and pulling her to the couch. She pulls Christian down onto the couch with her for the children to continue tickling both parents.

Several minutes later, Phoebe yells "Grandma. Grandpa." and runs over to hug Grace and Carrick. They had been standing the doorway for several minutes watching the family play. Like Ana, there are tears in their eyes watching their son enjoying, welcoming and encouraging the touch of his wife and children.

Christian stands and pulls Ana to her feet before going over to hug both of his parents. He beams as he says "You want to join us and play Tickle Monster?"

Both Grace and Carrick laugh but decline. Carrick says "I don't think I have the energy." They are swarmed by their grandchildren.

"Oh. I didn't realize it was so late. Bedtime for Jason and Lucas." Ana announces. "Grace would you like to help me?" Ana knows that Christian had asked his parents over this evening to discuss some legalities with his father concerning what he has found out the past couple days concerning the smear campaign on Elliott that she and Christian had managed to circumvent a couple of days ago. She is sure that Christian will also want to talk to his father about what can be done about Bitch Troll.

"I'd love to." Grace replies. She takes both grandsons by their hands and takes them to Christian and Carrick Senior for goodnight hugs and kisses before heading upstairs.

"Teddy, Phoebe, Carrick and Christiana. You have thirty minutes to straighten up this room and watch some television before heading upstairs to get yourselves ready for bed." Ana tells her oldest children. "Daddy and Grandpa have some business they need to discuss. Best to say goodnight to them now so you don't disturb them later." Ana kisses Christian before leaving the room to join Grace upstairs.

Christian and Carrick Senior hug and kiss the children goodnight before heading to Christian's study.

Upstairs, Grace and Ana get Jason and Lucas ready for bed. Grace asks if she could read the bedtime story. By the time she finishes, the two boys are both asleep. Ana ensures the baby monitor is on and the two women quietly leave the room.

As the step out into the hallway, Christiana and Carrick come out of their bedrooms looking for their mother and grandmother to say goodnight. Grace asks if they want a bedtime story and they happily agree. They head into the room Christiana shares with Phoebe. Grace sits between the twins on Christiana's bed and reads from their current book. When she sees Carrick's eyes starting to close, she finishes the chapter and closes the book. "Bedtime for my darling grandchildren." Grace says. After kissing and hugging Ana and Grace, Christiana crawls under the covers. Ana turns on Phoebe's bedside lamp. Grace takes Carrick by the hand and walks him to the room he now shares with Teddy. Carrick hugs and kisses Ana and Grace before crawling into his bed. Ana turns on Teddy's bedside lamp and leaves the room with Grace.

The two women head downstairs. "What would you like to drink, Grace?" Ana asks.

"Whatever you're having, my dear." Grace says. They head to the kitchen and Ana pulls a bottle of wine from the wine cooler and pours two glasses. "I think we'll need this." Ana says. Grace looks at her with an arched brow.

"You won't believe the day we had." Ana replies. "Come on. Let's go see what our men have been up to."


	27. Chapter 27

In Christian's study, he pours himself and his father drinks before sitting in the club chair across from his father. Carrick raises an eyebrow at his son drinking hard liquor instead of his usual wine. "Dad, I need this after the shitty couple of days I've had." Christian says as he takes a long drink. Carrick patiently waits for Christian to explain. He knows there is no sense in trying to push his son until the man in ready.

Christian empties his glass and goes back to the liquor cabinet to make another drink. He returns to his seat and sets it on the table by his chair. He stretches his legs out and crosses them at the ankle and then runs his hands through his hair. He closes his eyes briefly and then opens them to look at his father. "Elena Lincoln is, once again, out for revenge on our family."

"WHAT! I thought she had left town after she went into bankruptcy when her salons no longer had your financial backing. And that was nine years ago." Carrick exclaimed.

"I know. My Security has monitored her business dealings for the past decade, but she has stayed under the radar, so to speak." Christian explained. "However, I discovered a couple of days ago that she has been manipulating Elliott's secretary, Tiffany, into trying to seduce him. And then arrange the publication of discriminating photos of his indiscretion."

"Elliott? Why?" Carrick questioned. "Christ! What that would have done to Grace, let alone Kate. It almost destroyed Grace six years ago when they split. I thought Elliott had learned his lesson when he managed to convince Kate to take him back."

"Exactly. The secretary believed herself to be in love with Elliott and was lamenting to her hair dresser, Elena, in Portland about her boss. Elena gave her pointers on how to go about snaring Elliott and had the delusional woman believing that if their affair was public, Elliott would leave Kate to marry her." Christian explained.

"But how did you find out about all this?" Carrick asked.

"I ran into Elliott and Tiffany at the Fairmont Olympia's lounge a couple of nights ago. I had been there for a business dinner and meeting. They had been celebrating the signing of a big contract. If I hadn't encountered them, Elena's plot would likely have worked. While Elliott was at Registration renting a room, Tiffany was texting Kate on Elliott's phone and then when Elliott was paying the bar tab, Tiffany text Elena the room number." Christian tells his father. Carrick is pale.

Christian continues telling his father that he and Ana were able to circumvent Tiffany and Elena's plans. Ana had been with Kate when she had received the text, but it was explained that Tiffany had sent it out of spite when Elliott was in the washroom. The photos taken the following morning were of Mr. and Mrs. Christian Grey, not a married man and his secretary.

"Security is still investigating who was working with Elena on publishing the photos. Dad, I will need your legal advice on what recourse I would have if they publish the photos of Ana and myself. Of course, our choices will depend on what impact the publicity could have on Elliott and Kate." Christian informs his father.

"Well Son. I can't really advise you at this point in time without more information. And as you say, we wouldn't want it to have any impact on Elliott's marriage. That would only play into Elena's hands." Carrick says.

Christian takes another long swallow of his drink before running his hands through his hair. "That is minor to what I discovered today. And I need your advice on how to proceed."

"What happened today that has you so upset?" Carrick asks. He has never seen Christian so unsure of himself.

"Elena is fucking another fifteen year old." Christian informs his father. "I HAVE to do something. I can't let her away with this again. But I need your advice on how to proceed in order to minimize the negative impact on our family."

Carrick finishes his drink and indicates to Christian that he would like refill. "It's not like Ana or your Mother are unaware of your past relationship with Elena. Have you ever told anyone else in the family? I can see your reluctance to expose the children to the facts."

"It's not just the fact that she's fucking a minor. It is the type of relationship." Christian says. He takes a deep breath. "Ana knows most of the details of my relationship with Elena, but as far as I know, neither you nor Mom know the full story. It wasn't just with sex that she was able to get me to restrain my anger, fighting and drinking when I was a teenager. She beat it out of me." Seeing his father's widen eyes, Christian nods. "Yes Dad. She beat the shit out of me with canes, whips and anything else she could come up with. She was a Domme and I was her Submissive."

"And you believe that Elena is doing this to another minor?" Carrick gasps.

Christian nods. "Yes. When I confronted Elena today in her salon in Portland I noticed that the young boy sweeping the floor was wearing a long sleeved shirt, despite the heat. After I left the salon, I had Taylor drive around to the back alley and we waited until the boy took the garbage out the back door. When I approached him, I recognized the marks on his wrists. Handcuffs. When I asked him about it, he got defensive, saying the relationship was consensual. Fuck he sounded just like me. For months, I had argued with Ana that my relationship with Elena had been consensual. It wasn't until I was faced with pending fatherhood when Ana got pregnant with Teddy that I realized how wrong it had been. And then today, I was literally sick to my stomach when I saw the marks on Andrew." Christian looks at his father with a pained look in his eyes. "He is only six years older than Teddy."

"Christian, you know that I will support you in whatever you choose to do. You're right. That woman needs to be stopped. Since she is now in Portland, Oregon laws will dictate what can be done. I'm sure there will not be a problem to have her charged with statutory rape. But do you want to raise the other issue of her sadistic assault on him? I don't know if any information you provide could be kept from the press. Are you prepared for your history to become public knowledge?"

Christian looks his father in the eye and says "Yes."

"Have you considered the impact on Ana? The children?" Carrick asks.

"Yes. Ana and I have talked and she is eager to take the Bitch Troll down finally. I'm sure as a united front, we will be able to explain things to the children so that they will understand and deal with any gossip they may encounter at school." Christian says.

"And the rest of the family?" Carrick asks.

Christian nods. "Yes, we'll call a family meeting to inform everyone so that no one is caught surprised by the media. I guess, though, I should start with Mom since she's here. I'm sure Ana is having difficulty keeping the latest details from her."

The two men make themselves another drink before joining their wives in the family room. When she sees the men enter the room, Ana jumps up to run to Christian. She hugs him. "Is everything okay? Are _you_ okay?" she asks her husband. He nods. They sit down on a couch with their arms around each other.

"Would someone _please _tell me what is going on. I do not like family members keeping secrets from me." Grace demands.

Carrick sits down beside his wife and takes hold of her hand. "Grace, Christian is the one with a long time personal secret which recent events are now requiring him to reveal."

Grace looks at Christian with a questioning look in her eye. Christian takes a long drink before setting the glass down on a nearby table. He runs his hands through his hair, closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He begins to confess to his mother the true nature of the sexual relationship he had for six years with her former friend Elena Lincoln and how it was only Ana's love and impending fatherhood that had forced him to realize how wrong the relationship had been. During his story, he was unable to look his mother in the eye. Ana held his hand tightly and squeezing it during the most difficult parts.

With tears flowing down her face, Grace gets up and walks over to Christian. She sits down beside him and pulls him into her arms after Ana releases his hand. "Oh my poor baby. What you've gone through. And we had had no idea. Even when I discovered about Elena having seduced you when you were fifteen, I never dreamed just how depraved she was." Christian puts his arms around his mother and lets her sob into his shoulder.

"Mom, I'm okay." Christian tries to assure his mother. "With Ana's love over the years, I've been able to come to terms with it and put everything into perspective. I never wanted you or Dad to know how sick and depraved I was. I discovered today that Elena has another fifteen year old in her life and I saw the handcuff marks on his wrists. She has to be stopped and I'm prepared to reveal to the world my past if necessary. I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to stop her."

Grace cups Christian's face in her hands and lightly brushes each cheek. "Christian you have my full support. I will stand beside you through it all." Grace turns to Ana and pulls her into her arms. "Ana, I thank you once again for coming into Christian's life. And thank you for supporting Christian through all of this. I'm sure it hasn't been easy and the next while will be difficult as well. I am here for you as well."

Christian pulls his phone from his pocket. "Grey." His face turns ashen as he listens to the caller. "Yes, I know an Andrew Downing." "Which hospital?" "How badly is he injured?" "I'm at home in Seattle. But I can be there in less than two hours by helicopter. Can I use the hospital pad?" He disconnects and presses a button on the phone. "Taylor. I need Owens to pilot _Charlie Tango_ to OHSU Hospital in Portland ASAP. No, I have authorization to use the hospital landing pad, so I won't need ground transportation. Andrew Downing was just admitted, unconscious with severe injuries. Authorities found my business card in his wallet."

Christian disconnects and stumbles back onto the couch. He leans forward, putting his head in his hands. He sits back up and takes a deep breath. He looks at his parents before locking eyes with Ana. "I definitely have no choice now. Andrew Downing arrived by cab at the ER of OHSU Hospital in Portland and collapsed as he got out of the vehicle. He is still being examined, so they don't know the full extent of his injuries. Hospital staff called the police and I was contacted because my card was found in his wallet. I've got to get to Portland as quickly as possible, but I've had too much to drink to pilot _Charlie Tango_. Taylor is arranging for Owens to pilot it."

Christian answers his vibrating phone. "Grey." "Thanks Taylor. We'll meet Owens at the pad in fifteen." He disconnects. "Dad, are you able to come with me? I will likely need your legal advice." Carrick nods affirmative.

Ana says "Christian, I'm coming too." When Christian starts to speak she cuts him off. "Don't you _dare_ say I'm not permitted. _I _need to be by your side at a time like this. _You_ need me by your side at a time like this." She turns to Grace. "Grace, would you be able to stay here at the house to look after the children? I don't want to wake them up to tell them we're leaving, but I don't want them waking up in the morning to be informed by their nanny that both Christian and myself left without saying good-bye to them."

Grace hugs Ana. "Of course my dear. Anything I can do. Take care of Christian for me."

Ana hugs her back and says "Always."


	28. Chapter 28

Christian Grey enters the ER department of OHSU Hospital in Portland and strides up to the Registration Desk. The nurse on duty looks up from her paperwork with a bored look on her face, which quickly changes to one of interest. She pats her hair and runs her hand over her uniform shirt. "How may I help you?" she says with a flirtatious smile.

"I'm Christian Grey. I was contacted earlier this evening about an Andrew Downing." Christian says in his CEO voice.

"Oh yes, Mr. Grey. I'll page the attending doctor right away." She says in a breathless voice. "Please take a seat."

Christian is too restless to sit down. He turns to join Ana and Carrick and encourages them to take seats. A few minutes later a doctor approaches the group. "Mr. Christian Grey?" the woman asks. Christian nods. "I'm Doctor Brown. The Head of Emergency this evening. Please follow me."

She turns and starts to head to the doors to the examination rooms. She stops when she realizes Ana and Carrick are following as well. She raises an eyebrow in question. Christian answers in his CEO voice "This is my wife, Anastasia and my father Carrick. They are staying with me."

Dr. Brown huffs and says "This is highly irregular."

Christian glares at her and says "The current situation is highly irregular. I assume the police are still here as well?" Dr. Brown nods. "Well, I need my father for legal advice and my wife for moral support."

They follow Dr. Brown to a cubicle where an unconscious Andrew Downing is laying on a bed attached to a ventilator. He is covered only by a sheet over his lower regions. His chest and arms are covered with welts and bruises. The man is standing beside the bed looks up when he is aware of people arriving. "Mr. Grey?" he asks. "I'm Detective Simons of the Portland Police Department."

Christian says "Yes, I'm Christian Grey. This is my wife Anastasia Grey and my father Carrick Grey. What happened to Andrew?"

"I was hoping that you could enlighten me. When Mr. Downing arrived at the hospital, he stepped out of the cab and collapsed. The cab driver left, but the security guard had seen Mr. Downing fall and came to his aid. The guard heard him say "Elena" before he passed out. He has not come to. When the hospital staff removed his blood stained shirt and found the welts, they called the police. They checked his wallet for identification when they discovered your business card with the hand written phone number on the back. Why would a teenage kid in Portland have your business card and phone number, Mr. Grey?"

"It's a long story Detective Simons." Christian says. "Is there a private office we could adjourn to so the good doctors can attend to Mr. Downing?" The two men look questionably to Dr. Brown. She nods and leads the group to a vacant office.

Ana smirks when Christian automatically goes to the chair behind the desk and sits down, leaving Detective Simons to sit in the chair in front of the desk and she and Carrick at chairs in the corner of the small office.

Simons pulls out a notebook and looks at Christian. "How do you know Andrew Downing?"

"I met him earlier today…sorry yesterday. I had dropped by to pay a visit to an old acquaintance at her hair salon and he was sweeping the floor." Christian informed the detective.

"Who is the old acquaintance?"

"Elena Lincoln."

"Elena?" Simons questions. Christian nods. "Would she be responsible for the beating Downing endured?

"I wouldn't be surprised." Christian says quietly.

"Why would you give him your business card, if you had just met him? Did you suspect that this Elena would do something?" Simons asks.

Christian closes his eyes briefly. When he opens them, he looks at his father who nods. Christian then looks at Ana who also nods and whispers _I love you. Be strong._ Christian looks at Simons in the eye and says "Yes. I had noticed that Downing was wearing a long sleeved shirt, despite the warm weather. I didn't say anything in the salon, but after I left I waited in the back alley for him to do a garbage run. I approached him and saw his wrists. I recognized the welts and bruises on his wrists as marks from handcuffs."

"Handcuffs? Why would you think that?"

"Elena Lincoln, a family friend, seduced me when I was fifteen. During our six year affair, she introduced me to a BDSM lifestyle. She was the Domme and I was her Submissive. During that time, she frequently handcuffed me and beat me with canes, whips and anything else available. I spent a lot of time covering up the marks to hide the evidence from my family. When I saw Downing wearing a long sleeved shirt, I was sure that Elena was up to her old habits. I confronted him and his reaction was the same as mine had been for a number of years. He tried to assure me that the relationship was consensual. I didn't push the matter, but gave him my business card and told him to call me anytime, day or night. Thank God he had my card in his wallet."

Simonds looks up from his notebook. "So you are accusing Elena Lincoln of not only statutory rape, since Andrew Downing in under the age of consent, but also assault?" he asks Christian.

"Yes. That bitch needs to be stopped." Christian says through gritted teeth. "If necessary, I am prepared to testify of the abuse I suffered at her hands."

Simonds looks Christian in the eyes. "You realize what that will likely entail, Mr. Grey? You are a prominent man and tabloids will have field day once your past is revealed. Are you prepared for the impact that could have on your family?" He looks at Carrick and Ana.

Before Christian has a chance to respond, Ana says forcefully "That Bitch Troll has done enough damage to our family. She needs to be stopped before Andrew suffers any more psychological damage and before she can damage anyone else."

Christian looks at Simonds in the eye and says "As you can see, the most important person in my life, my wife, already knows. And I have already informed my parents. Within the next few days, I will be informing the rest of my family so that they are not taken by surprise."

Simonds closes his notebook and stands up, extending his hand. "Thank you for the information Mr. Grey. I'll pass along your offer to the DA." The two men shake hands. "Nice to meet you Mrs. Grey. Mr. Grey." Simonds nods to Ana and then Carrick before leaving the room.

Christian looks at his father and wife. "Well, I guess it will just be a matter of time before Elena is arrested and whether the DA will need my testimony."

Ana crosses the room to wrap her arms around Christian. "I'm so proud of you Baby. I know this has been hard for you. And will be even more difficult if you do testify. Come, let's see what we can do for Andrew and head home."

The three leave the room and Christian stops to talk to Dr. Brown. "I will be notifying the hospital's Accounting Office that I will pay his hospital bill. So provide the best care possible. Please keep be apprised of any develops in his condition."

"Thank you Mr. Grey." Dr. Brown says.

Christian turns to Ana and Carrick. "Let's go home." The three leave the ER and head back to the helicopter to return to Seattle.

When the helicopter lands back in Seattle, Christian and Ana walk to the house with their arms around each other, with Carrick walking behind them. They are greeted at the door by Grace who wraps her arms around Carrick. "We'll talk in the morning." Grace says. The two couples head to their respective bedrooms.

"I need a shower." Christian says. He pulls Ana into his arms. "I need help washing my back, Mrs. Grey."

"Just your back, Mr. Grey?" Ana smiles seductively as she starts unbuttoning Christian's shirt.

"Fuck no! You can wash me all over." Christian says as he undoes the buttons on Ana's shirt and peels it off. He winks as he says "But that means I get to wash you all over." Ana giggles.

They continue removing each other's clothing and head to the shower. The both stand under the spray. Christian lathers his hands and runs them over Ana's body. Ana moans as he runs his hands down her stomach to her sex. Her moans grow louder as Christian starts to rub her clitoris. He continues his motions and Ana wraps her arms around Christian's neck to keep her balance. "Oh Christian! That feels so good. CHRISTIAN!" she screams as she climaxes. Christian wraps his arms around Ana as her body continues to writhe.

When Ana's breathing return to normal, she pulls Christian's mouth down to hers and runs her tongue over his lips before sliding into his mouth to start a battle with his tongue. When their mouths break apart, Ana starts trailing kisses down Christian's chest. She kneels down and takes Christian's entire cock into her mouth. "Fuck Ana! That feels good. You've never had a gag reflex." Ana looks up at Christian, blue eyes locked on grey. Her mouth continues fucking her husband. Christian's hands tangle in her hair to control the motion of Ana's head on his cock. "Fuck Ana! I'm going to come." he yells as he goes over the edge and Ana continues to swallow until he is spent.

They finish their shower and step out to dry each other off. Christian picks Ana up in his arms and carries her into the bedroom to lay her on the bed after turning down the duvet. He climbs into bed and draws her into his arms. "Ana, you are the most beautiful woman I've ever known – inside and out. You have been fantastic today. You were with me in Portland to support me when I had to confront that bitch. When I was sick to my stomach in the back alley, you were there to take care of me without saying a word. And then this evening, you were there by my side in support."

Ana smiles at Christian. "That's what a loving spouse does." She giggles and says "Besides, in my wedding vows I promised to stand by your side in good times and in bad, to share your sorrow and bring you solace in times of need."

"God, your giggles still gets to me." Christian growls as his hand skims down the side of Ana's body. His hand cups Ana's sex and inserts a finger into her vagina. "Always ready for me, aren't you Ana?" He pulls his finger out and trails it up Ana's body to run it over her lips. Ana's mouth opens and he inserts the finger into her mouth. "Oh Baby, yes, suck your juices from my finger." Ana smiles and lightly bites down on his finger. "Careful. You wouldn't want to damage that finger." Christian smirks as he withdraws his finger.

Christian leans over Ana to take her left nipple into his mouth as his hand pinches her right nipple. Ana purrs and raises her hips off the bed. Christian smirks as Ana's hands grip his hair and pushes her breast further into his mouth. "Christian, I need you in me. NOW!" Ana shouts.

"Control Ana. Control." Christian whispers against her breast. His mouth switches to her right nipple while his hand pinches her left. Ana wraps a leg over Christian's and rubs her sex against his leg. Christian groans, but doesn't release his mouth from Ana's breast.

"Please Christian. I need you NOW. Please fuck me!" Ana pleads. Christian smiles as he moves his mouth from Ana's breast to her neck. He rains kisses up her neck to her right earlobe and nips it before continuing the kisses across her chin to nip her left earlobe. After Ana gives another yelp, Christian's kisses continue to her mouth. Her mouth opens to accept his tongue and her tongue starts a battle with his tongue. Ana continues to rub her sex against Christian's leg.

Christian moves his body over Ana's, supporting himself on his arms. He rubs his cock against Ana's vagina. Ana moans and raises her hips trying to get closer to Christian. Christian laughs and thrusts his cock into her vagina before pulling all the way out. Ana groans and reaches between them to guide his cock into her vagina. She wraps her legs around his thighs to lock his body to her. Christian groans, pulls his cock part way out before thrusting himself all the way in. He repeats the motion several times before both of them go over the edge.

When their breathing returns to normal, Christian pulls out of Ana and draws her back into his arms. "I love you Ana." He says as he kisses her. "Sleep now."

"I love you too Christian." Ana says sleepily as she snuggles closer.

It is late the following morning when Ana and Christian are awaken by commotion in the hallway. Christiana is whining that she wants to see her Daddy and Grandma Grace is trying to hush her telling her that Mommy and Daddy had a late night and are still sleeping.

As usual, Christian's body is wrapped around Ana. He cannot believe he slept so soundly, once they finally fell asleep. But then Ana always did have a calming effect on him and he frequently managed to sleep through the night.

Christian's lips brush Ana's lips. "Time to wake up Baby. We better get some clothes on. I doubt Mom will be able to control the whole brood if Christiana once joined by her siblings."

Ana runs her tongue over Christian's lip before giving a quick nip to his lower lip and then plunging her tongue into his mouth. Christian takes control of the kiss. "Oh woman. What you do to me. I'd like nothing better than to spend the whole day in bed with you. But parent duty calls. Guess we've had too many 'days in bed' in the past resulting in all those children." He gives Ana a quick kiss. "You just can't control yourself around me, can you?" he says with a devilish smile.

"Mr. Grey! I do believe it is you who can't control himself around me. You just have to look at me and you sow your powerful seed." Ana giggles. Christian moans. They both sigh and roll out of bed to get their pajamas on before their bedroom is invaded. They smile at each other as there are several knocks on their bedroom from small hands.

"Mommy!" "Daddy!" several small voices cry out. "It time to get up." Ana crawls back into bed and pulls the blankets up over her chest. Christian walks to the door to unlock it and open the door. All six children are standing in the hallway waiting to be invited into their parents' bedroom. Standing behind them is his mother with a smile on her face.

"Good morning Christian. I've tried to keep them back as long as possible to give you and Ana a chance to sleep in. Did you get any sleep?"

"Thanks Mom. We appreciate your thoughtfulness. Yes, I did sleep. Surprisingly, given everything that happened yesterday."

Christian opens the door further and the children rush in and jump on the bed to hug and kiss their mother. Christian tells his mother that they be down for breakfast shortly after some family time. Grace smiles at her son as he turns and joins his wife and children on the bed.

Thirty minutes later, Christian shoos the children out of the bedroom with the promise that he and Ana will join them downstairs after they get dressed. When Christian and Ana arrive downstairs, a somber looking Taylor is waiting and motions for Christian to join him in Christian's office. Ana raises an eyebrow but receives no information. Christian gives her a quick kiss and whispers "I'll join you all in a few minutes. Hopefully this won't take long."

Christian and Taylor enter the office and Taylor closes the door. Christian takes his seat behind the desk but Taylor remains standing. "My source in the Portland Police Department has informed me that Elena Lincoln was arrested earlier this morning for assault and statutory rape. She will be remanded later today." Taylor informs Christian. "I've had a report from the hospital and Andrew Downing has regained consciousness but is not being very co-operative with the police."

Christian looks at Taylor and says "You could have told me this in the hallway. Why the privacy?"

Taylor hands Christian a file folder labelled 'Andrew Downing'. "I thought you would want to read this in private."

Christian takes the folder from Taylor and flips it open and scans through the papers. "FUCK! You've got to be kidding me. It can't be true. I've always been careful." Christian sets the folder on his desk and runs his hands through his hair. He looks at Taylor and says "Best arrange for me to take a paternity test."


	29. Chapter 29

Taylor looks at Christian. "Do you really think you could be the biological father of Andrew Downing? The background check Welch gathered lists his father as Jeremy Downing who died in 2015."

Christian says "Birth certificates can list any name given to the officials. The mother is listed as Amber Timmons. Andrew's birthdate is listed as September 4, 2005. An Amber Timmons was my Sub in late 2004, early 2005. I'm assuming she is the same woman."

Taylor sits down in the chair behind him. "Of fuck! That was before I was hired. The mother's name didn't hold any significance to me. I knew you were anxious for the back ground check file and I didn't want to hand it to you in the hallway."

Christian leans back in his chair and briefly closes his eyes. "Fuck. Can my past never stop interfering with my present and future?" Christian jerks forward to sit upright. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Elena usually assisted me in selecting my subs. I wonder if she made the connection? And is she that sick that she seduced Andrew because she thought he could be my son?"

Taylor responds "I'll arrange for the test. I will also have Welch do some more investigating into Andrew's birth and the relationship of Justin Downing and Amber Timmons. As well as that family's connection to Elena Lincoln. You've certainly kept Welch busy lately. First verifying your biological connection to Margaret White, as well as the Reynolds, and now this." He stands up start his tasks. At the door, he turns and looks at Christian. "Christian, are you going to be okay?" It is rare that Jason Taylor is that familiar with his employer, but over the years they have development a friendship and mutual respect.

Christian looks Taylor in the eye. "Yes, Jason, I hope so. It will depend on Ana's reaction. Would you please ask her to come in here?"

A few minutes later, Ana cautiously opens the door and looks at Christian. When she sees him, she quickly enters the room, closing the door before running across the room to sit on Christian's lap and wrap her arms around him. She pulls his mouth down to hers for a kiss. "Baby, what's wrong?" she asks when he doesn't try to deep the kiss.

Christian pulls her closer, running his hand over her back and hip. "Don't hate me, Ana."

"Why would you think I would do that? After all that we have been through the past ten years, what shade of grey haven't you shown me?" Ana questions.

Christian turns Ana so that he could look into her eyes – eyes greys gazing into blue. "Welch has provided a background report on Andrew Downing. He was born in early September 2005. His birth certificate lists his mother as Amber Timmons – the same name as the woman who was my Sub in early 2005." Christian continues holding eye contact with Ana and can see when she registers the timeline.

"Are you saying that you are Andrew Downing's father? Are you listed as his father on the birth certificate?" Ana whispers.

"No, the father's name is listed as Justin Downing. I've asked Taylor to arrange for a paternity test as well as having Welch do a more thorough investigation on Andrew and his family."

"Why would you think I would hate you for this? It all happened long before we met." Ana giggles and adds "I was only turning sweet sixteen when Andrew was born."

"Minx. Now I can't get the image out of my mind of you at sixteen in a school uniform." Christian gives Ana a quick kiss at the same time that he swats her on her backside. "No, I'm afraid that you'll hate me because I abandoned my child. It brought back memories of my initial reaction when you told me you were pregnant with Teddy."

"Oh Christian. You redeemed yourself for that misjudgement years ago. It was never your fear of fatherhood, or blaming me for forgetting my birth control that devastated me. It was the appearance that you had run to Bitch Troll for comfort and support."

"Speaking of Bitch Troll. She has been arrested and will be arraigned later today. She is being charged with assault and statutory rape."

"It's about fucking time!" Ana proclaims. "It's just too bad that there is a statute of limitations and she can't be charged for what she did to you."

"Calm down, Ana. We'll just have to be sure she pays this time." Christian says.

"Wait a minute." Ana says. "Didn't you tell me that Elena assisted you in selecting your Submissives?" Christian nods. "She would have known this Amber, right?" Christian nods. "Would she have known what happened to the Subs after their contract ended?"

"Possibly. I never discussed that with her. After ensuring a pay-off to the ex-Sub, I never involved myself in their lives." Christian said. Ana lifts an eyebrow. "Okay, the exception was Leila, but that was because she was endangering you."

"If Bitch Troll was aware of this Amber's life post-Christian, she may have also concluded that you were the father of the baby. Would she be that obsessed with you that fifteen years later, she seduces the boy she thinks is your son since she can't have you?" Ana ponders.

"I have to admit, that thought has crossed my mind as well." Christian says. He looks Ana straight in the eye. "So, you are alright with the possibility that Andrew Downing is my son? And I've never provided any support?"

Ana runs her tongue over Christian's lips. "My Darling Husband. I accepted your fifty shades of grey past years ago. This is just another shade. How could you be faulted for not providing support if you were never informed? You said your name isn't listed on the birth certificate. So either you're not the father or Amber didn't want to involve you."

"I love you Anastasia. You continue to amaze me with your compassion and understanding." Christian captures Ana's mouth with his, slipping his tongue into hers when her lips part. Ana runs her hands through Christian's hair.

"I love you too Christian. Let's go join the family for breakfast."

Breakfast was a noisy occasion as the children were excited to have their grandparents join them. Anytime someone got too boisterous, a stern look from Christian soon quieted the offender down. As usual, Christian's stern look was quickly replaced by his mega-watt smile and the words "I love you". The last thing Christian or Ana wanted was for any of the children to be afraid of their father. But they agreed with each other that rules were necessary in a child's life so that they grew up knowing the difference between right and wrong.

After breakfast, Christian asked his father to join him in his office to update him about Andrew Downing and concerns about Andrew's parentage. Christian also wanted legal advice from his father on how to proceed if the paternity test proved that Christian was Andrew's biological father.

Ana answers her ringing cell phone. "Hi Kate! How are things since our girls' evening the other night?" she asks. "WHAT?" Ana shouts. "Let me get my ipad to check out that site."

As Ana locates her ipad, Grace asks "What's the matter Ana?"

"Oh no! Christian is going to be livid when he sees this." Ana exclaims as she looks at her screen. "I better let Christian know." She hands the ipad to Grace for her to see the website. Ana speaks into her phone "Kate, I'm going to have to call you back. I need to show this to Christian asap."

Ana knocks on the closed of Christian's office and opens the door when Christian responds. His face lights up when he sees that the intruder is Ana, but quickly turns to a look of concern when he sees her face "What's wrong, Baby?" He jumps up to come around the desk to take her in his arms. "Ana, tell me what's wrong."

Ana hands Christian the ipad. "FUCK!" Christian shouts. "So this is what using the photos for!" At his father's questioning look, Christian hands Carrick the ipad. Carrick's eyebrows raise at what he see a photo of Christian with a duvet wrapped around his body as the only cover and a second photo of Ana's naked body barely covered by a bed sheet. Both have a well-fucked look about them.

_**SEATTLE NOOZ**_

_**Seattle's Power Couple Play**_

_Seattle's own Christian and Anastasia Grey are viewed by many as the supreme Super Dad and Super Mom, raising six children while both working long hours as CEO of their own companies. But where are the children while Mom and Dad are engaging in an all-night sex romp at a local hotel? The Nooz is aware that there are servants galore, including a nanny, at Grey Manor. But what sexapades require Super Mom and Dad to check-in to a local hotel mid-week?_

_As one can see from the photos taken in the early morning earlier this week, neither had much sleep nor do they seem to care that the Room Service waiter would see them au naturel. Mr. Grey is usually very protective of his wife and keeps her under wraps as much as possible. We have to assume he wasn't thinking with the head on shoulders when he opened the hotel room door with his wife exposed like this._

_The Nooz has one question for Christian Grey: With your extreme wealth, you only treat your lady to a hotel room and not a suite? _

_Or is this an indication that all is not well in the financial worlds of Grey Enterprise Holdings, Incorporated and Grey Publishing? Inquiring minds want to know. And Seattle Nooz will pay for such information._

Carrick hands the ipad back to Ana and says with a smile "My Dear. I do have to admit that you do look ravishing in that bed sheet." Ana blushes before leaving the room. Carrick turns to Christian and says "Soooo...is there something you want to tell me? Like why were the two of you in a hotel room mid-week?" He shakes his head. "The article is right, Christian, a suite is your usual style."

Christian sighs and sits back down in his chair behind the desk. He looks at his father and gives him a summary of the events at the Fairmount Hotel earlier in the week when he circumvented Elliot starting an affair with his secretary. During his story, Carrick pales and helps himself to another drink.

"What the fuck is that son of mine thinking of. Doesn't he remember what happened the last time? Or does he not care?" Carrick questions. He looks at Christian "Thank you, Christian, for helping Elliott avoid fucking up the life of his family. I just hope he has learned his lesson this time. I'm sure Kate won't forgive him again. I certainly wouldn't."

Christian runs his hands through his copper tresses – the sign that he is agitated. "I know. With Ana's help, I was able to circumvent the situation that night. But now this publicity needs to be dealt with. I would like to think that this is the end of it, but I'm sure if I don't make a public statement, the press will keep digging away at it. Whoever, besides Elena, is behind this must have a personal motive." Christian reaches for his phone to call Welch. _"Taylor was right. I've certainly been keeping Welch busy recently with dealing with my family issues." _Christian says to himself.

A couple of hours later, Christian is working in his home office when his phone rings. "Grey." He says when he answers. "What the fuck! Are you sure that is who is behind it?" He hangs up and presses a button on his phone. "Ros. Get me financial information on the Seattle Times. I'm feeling the need to purchase a newspaper." He says. "No, I don't mean today's issue, I mean the whole fucking business."

Christian disconnects and presses another button. "Ana, are you free? I need to see you in my office." He snickers and says "Always up for some kinky fuckery with you, Baby. But first I need to update you on the photos." and disconnects. _"Fuck I love that woman. She's as insatiable as I am."_ Christian says to himself with a smile. _"But I wouldn't want it any other way."_

When Ana arrives, she goes around the desk to sit in Christian's lap. He gives her a deep kiss before drawing her close to his chest. "Do you know if Kate has kept in contact with any of her former colleagues at The Seattle Times?"

Ana looks perplex and says "I don't know. She probably does have some contact from time to time with some of them in her position at Kavanaugh Media. Why?"

"Welch has dug up information that the source for the photos to _The Nooz_ was none other than Simon Rogers, Seattle Times editor and the man Kate broke up with when she re-united with my idiot brother." Christian informs Ana.

Ana gasps. "You're kidding!" she exclaims. Christian shakes his head in denial. "Oh wait!" Ana says. "The other night when I was trying to console Kate, she said that one of the things she and Elliott had argued about was about Simon. Apparently, both he and Kate were at a media function the day before and a group of them went out for drinks afterwards. Kate lost track of time and was late picking up Ava from school, so the school called Elliott's office rather than Kate's cell. Kate told me that after the others had left the bar, Simon was hitting on Kate."

At Christian's stern look, Ana ran her hand over Christian's cheek. "Relax, Baby. Kate said she turned him down flat and left soon afterwards." Ana looked at Christian and questioned "Do you think he was trying to do the same thing that Elliott's secretary was doing. If Elliott's dalliance with his secretary became public, Kate would turn to Simon for comfort?" Christian shrugged. "But why get the photos of us published in a gossip paper? What purpose would that do?"

"That's the dilemma. I don't know at this point. Trying to embarrass the two of us wouldn't have any impact on the marriage of Elliott and Kate. Unless..." Christian says. At Ana's prompting he continues "Unless that was just the first part and maybe they will publish that Elliott had been the one that checked in."

"But you had the hotel put the charges on your card when we checked out." Ana reminds Christian.

"I know. Hopefully that will be enough to save Elliott's ass. And marriage." Christian says. "I hope to fuck that Rogers doesn't come up with any photos of Elliott making out with his secretary in the bar prior to getting the room. Believe me, it was quite hot. I thought Justin Stone was going to come in his pants at what he was watching, before I realized who the couple were. Of course, Justin was already worked up with the show the waitress was putting on." At Ana's questioning look, Christian laughs and adds "Relax Mrs. Grey. She did nothing for me. You know you are the only one for me."

"Just you remember that, Mr. Grey." Ana responds. She runs her hand over Christian's hardening cock. "I wouldn't want to have to do damage to my favorite toy."

"Neither would I." Christian agrees. "But you don't have anything to worry about. I only have eyes for you." Christian pulls Ana's mouth to his for a deep kiss before lifting her off his lap and positioning her on his desk in front of him. "Now about that kinky fuckery you were talking about..." he says.


	30. Chapter 30

The next day, Christian is in his office at Grey House when his phone rings.

"Christian, have you seen the latest in the _Seattle Nooz_?" Elliott shouts into the phone.

"I can't say that it is my usual reading material." Christian responds. "Why, are they showing more photos of Ana and myself?" Christian turns to his laptop and calls up the website for the gossip rag.

"No. There are no photos today. But the fuckers have an update explaining that you weren't a cheap SOB in renting a room rather than a suite for your rendezvous with your wife. They have an inside source stating that the room had been rented by me and I'm the cheapskate. Now they are speculating as to why I was renting a room that was to be used by my brother and his wife." Elliott says. "How am I going to explain that to Kate?"

"Relax Bro." Christian says, trying to calm his brother down. "The charges for the room are on my credit card, not yours." Christian runs his hand through his copper hair. "Okay. How about this: If anyone asks, we had a bet and the loser had to pay for a night at the Fairmont. I won our bet, but unfortunately for me, the bet we made hadn't specified the type of accommodation." Christian explains. He laughs and adds "It just didn't occur to me that you would be so cheap as to rent a regular room for Ana and myself. And I felt sorry for you, so I paid the tab when checking out."

"Ooooh that's good." Elliott says. "Do you think Kate will buy that explanation?"

"Fuck I don't know Lelliott. You're the one married to her, not me." Christian exclaims. _"And thank fuck for that!"_ he adds to himself.

"I want to keep my balls. I don't want to serve them up to Kate on a platter." Elliott says.

"You should have thought of that before you started getting hot and heavy with your secretary and offering your balls, among other things, to her." Christian says, showing no sympathy for his brother. "And no, I'm not going to ask the question of whether you would have taken her to the room if I hadn't intervened, because I'm sure I know the answer and I don't want to really hear the answer." Christian runs his hand through his hair and sighs. "We'll go with the bet story and hopefully that will be the end of this." The brothers end their phone conservation.

Christian places a phone call. "Ros. How are your progressing on the _Seattle Times_ situation. Is a purchase take-over a viable option for us at this point in time?" Christian hears a knock on his office door. He knows it would be someone from his inner-circle, otherwise Andrea would be announcing the person. "Come in." he calls out. When he sees Taylor, with a strange look on his face, enter the room, he says "Ros, call me back later with the details. Something has come up."

"Sorry for disturbing you Sir." Taylor says, very professional. "I believe you are needed downstairs out on the street to deal with a situation."

"What fucking situation, Taylor!" Christian exclaims. "If it's a security issue, deal with it!"

Taylor is having difficulty keeping a serious face and not smiling. "No, Sir. You need to see this."

"Fine!" Christian says with a heavy sigh. He stands up and puts his suit jacket on. "This better be important. I have better things to do than deal with a security in front of my building." He looks at Taylor. "That fucking gossip rag has published another story. No pictures, thank fuck, but they have a source stating that Elliott had been the one who had rented the room. And now Elliott is worried what Kate will think." Christian runs his hands through his hair. "If he'd just thought with the head on his shoulders instead of his dick, he wouldn't have anything to worry about." He heads to the office door. "Come on then Taylor. Let's see what's so important downstairs." Taylor follows Christian out of the room still trying to keep a straight face.

When Christian exits the main doors of Grey House, he sees a crowd has gathered off to the right of the entrance way. As he approaches the crowd he hears "Daddy!" and turns to see Christiana running towards him. As she runs, she drops something onto the ground which is picked up by Lopez, her security guard.

As he picks her up in his arms he asks "What are you doing here?"

"I'm helping Phoebe with her lemonade stand. She asked me to stand on the corner with a stand to direct people to her stand." Christiana says as she wraps her arms around her father's neck. "Did you and Taylor come for some lemonade? We have cookies too!"

"WHAT THE FU...!" Christian shouts. With his youngest daughter still in his arms, he turns to force his way through the crowd to confront his eldest daughter. As he pushes his way through the crowd, he glares at anyone who attempted to object to being jostled aside. When he gets to the front of the crowd, he sees a table with numerous glasses of lemonade displayed. At one end of the table, Teddy is selling tickets and at the other end, Carrick is handing out paper cups of lemonade and cookies in exchange for tickets. At another table behind them, Phoebe is mixing up more lemonade in a pitcher while Ava is filling up more cups with lemonade from another pitcher. The children all jump when Christian yells "PHOEBE GRACE GREY!"

"Hi Daddy!" Phoebe calmly responds. "Are you here for a glass of lemonade and cookie?" Phoebe's grey eyes stare at Christian's grey eyes without flinching.

"What on earth are you up to? I can obviously tell that you are the ring leader in this." Christian says through clinched teeth.

"I thought a lemonade stand would be a good idea on this hot day to raise funds for Coping Together." Phoebe calmly explains. She turns to point to a poster taped to the wall of Grey House. "See. We have a poster and everything to let people know that the money is going to charity."

"Phoebe! You can't just set up a business, even one for charity, on a public sidewalk. There are by-laws and such that require a business license." Christian explains, trying to keep his rage under control.

"Oh I know, Daddy. I did my research and did up a business plan – just like you've always said." Phoebe says in an exasperated tone as if she is trying to explain something to someone not comprehending a simple fact. "I even have a business license – for Phoebe's Refreshments."

Christian sets Christiana down out of his arms and runs both hands through his copper locks. "How the HELL did a 7 year old get a business license? Who at City Hall is moronic enough to do that?"

"They wouldn't give me one, even though I had filled out all the forms and had the money for the license." Phoebe says. "The lady at the office said that she could only sell a license to someone of legal age, because a signature was needed."

"Phoebe Grace Grey! Do. Not. Tell. Me. That. Your. Mother. Signed. For. The. License.?" Christian says in a clipped tone.

"Oh no, I couldn't go to Mom." Phoebe says. "She would have told you before we had a chance to get set up." Her grey eyes stared into her father's grey eyes and continued the glare without backing down.

"Aunt Mia went to City Hall with Phoebe." Christiana happily informs her father.

"Thank you Darling." Christian says to his youngest daughter. He pulls out his phone and calls Mia. "Mia. Christian. Get the fuck down here to Grey House. NOW." and disconnects before Mia has a chance to say anything. "Close down the stand, Phoebe. NOW. I can't have this commotion going on in front of my building."

"Sorry, Dad. I have a license saying that I can set up here. And I'm not closing down until we run out of lemonade and cookies. It's not fair to Coping Together." Phoebe says, trying to appeal to her father's charitable side. Christian runs his hands through his hair again and releases a large sigh. "How much will it cost to buy the rest of the lemonade and cookies?"

"I'm not sure how much lemonade we still have, but I think we still have enough for several hundred drinks." Phoebe says.

"Fine." Christian says as he pulls out his wallet. "Here is $500. Will that cover everything?"

"Hey buddy! No butting in. Get to the back of the line and wait your turn like everyone else. I've been patiently standing here for the past ten minutes in this heat. I want my lemonade." says a man standing several people away from Christian and just about to reach Carrick who has still been distributing lemonade and cookies during the confrontation between Phoebe and Christian.

Christian glares at the man. Before he has a chance to respond, Christian sees a news van pull up, quickly followed by other paparazzi. Christian groans. He turns to Phoebe and says "We will talk about this later, Phoebe."

Christian steps back and sees that the line has grown and is now down the block. "Taylor. Get several beverage carts out here from the cafeteria. Phoebe and her "staff" will be delivering drinks to the GEH employees. And get more security out here. The line needs to be shut down after me as there won't be anything left." As Christian walks to join the end of the line, he pulls out his phone and calls Ana. "Anastasia. Please come over to Grey House as quickly as possible. I'll explain when you get here." he says. "No, I don't want to go into details on the phone. Just get here asap. I love you, Baby." and disconnects before Ana can say anything more.

Several minutes later Taylor joins Christian in line. He is still trying to refrain from laughing. "Okay Jason, you can let loose. I can see that you're having trouble trying to restrain yourself." Christian says with a smirk. "Oh fuck! One of the reporters has spotted us." Christian says with a groan.

"Mr. Grey!" a reporter calls. "Amanda Porter. King 5 News. What do you have to say about your children setting up a lemonade stand in front of your building? And why are you standing out here in line - especially in this heat?"

Christian looks the reporter over and acknowledges to himself that the woman is good looking – if one is attracted to long legged, red haired, green eyed women. Which he isn't, but still flashes his panty-melting mega-watt smile at her for the sake of the camera. "Why am I standing here in line? I decided to buy refreshments for my staff on this fine warm day and as someone pointed out I shouldn't butt in line. So here I am at the back of the line. Unfortunately for others, I will be the last customer as I have a fair number of employees, and I suspect I will be buying out the supply of Phoebe's Refreshments today. It wouldn't be fair for others to join the line behind me, only to be disappointed when they would be unable to purchase the refreshing lemonade they had been looking forward to drinking."

Amanda is still reeling from being on the receiving end of the Christian Grey smile. "That's very generous of you Mr. Grey. What do you have to say about your children setting up the lemonade stand? And in front of your building?"

"Ms. Porter, what do you think any parent would have to say about their children taking the initiative to raise funds for charity? Especially one that is as close to my heart as Coping Together. You may not be aware that Coping Together was originally established by my parents Carrick Grey and Dr. Grace Trevelyan Grey. The Grey family continues to support this worthy charity as frequently as we can. I am a very proud father that my children and niece are willing to spend time on their summer vacation to contribute to a worthwhile cause. I believe that is much better than sitting around watching videos or playing video games. Now, if you will excuse me Ms. Porter, we must keep this line moving."

Amanda turns back to the camera and says "Christian Grey does sound like a proud papa. This is Amanda Porter reporting from in front of the headquarters of Grey Enterprises Holdings. Back to the news desk." After taking more footage of the lemonade stand activity, the camera crew and Amanda pack up and depart in their van.

The line of customers has moved along until Christian, as the last customer, has made it to the table where Teddy is sitting selling tickets. "Hello Ted." he says to his eldest son who is looking at him slightly nervous. "I would like to purchase $2000 worth of tickets." Christian says as he hands his son twenty $100 bills. "Once the drinks are poured, please help your siblings and cousin put them on the beverage carts that have just been delivered and distribute them to the staff in the building."

"You bet, Dad." Teddy says, relieved that his father had calmed down from when he first came outside and discovered the lemonade stand. "Hi Mom!" Teddy happily says as he spots his mother approaching the table. He knows if anyone can calm her father down, it would be his mother.

"Anastasia!" Christian says as he turns flashing his panty-melting mega-watt smile. He wraps his arms around her to pull her to him for a deep, soul searching kiss. Ana runs her hands through his hair. They are both breathless when their mouths break apart. "Did you know anything about Phoebe's latest scheme?"

"What scheme?" Ana asks. She looks at the tables and the signage and says "Oh! My! God!" and then bites her lip. She turns back and looks at her husband. When she sees the expression on his face she giggles. Ana raises a hand to caress Christian's cheek. "Oh Fifty! Relax. It looks like everything is under control."

"Only because Taylor got his staff out here to do crowd control and stopped people joining the line after I got in line." Christian says forcefully.

"You, Christian Trevelyan Grey, joined a line for lemonade being sold by your children?" Ana starts laughing. Tears start to run down her face from her laughter.

"Yes, I did. And I even tolerated being interviewed by a news reporter." Christian says with a pout. "And stop laughing at me."

Ana wraps her arms around Christian's neck and whispered in his ear "And what do you plan to do, if I don't... Sir?"

Christian groans as he wraps his arms around Ana again. "Oh I think it warrants a spanking or two, Mrs. Grey." he whispers in her ear before nipping at her earlobe. In a louder voice he adds "But for now, we need to get inside out of this heat." Christian looks at the tables and sees that the supply of lemonade, cookies and cups have been transferred to the beverage carts. With the assistance of their personal security, the children are manoeuvring the carts inside the building.

"Phoebe!" Christian calls. "I need to speak to you."

"Yes Dad!" Phoebe says as she stops and walks over to her parents.

"When you and the others are done distributing the lemonade, I want to see you all in my office." Christian tells her.

Phoebe gives an over dramatic sigh before saying "Okay." As she turns away, she rolls her eyes. Ana quickly puts a finger on Christian's lips as he is about to say something to his daughter.

Once Phoebe is out of hearing distance, Christian says "Your daughter is going to be the life of me, yet. And she's only seven. What will she be like at seventeen?"

"MY daughter?" Ana exclaims. "Oh no, Mr. Grey. That girl has much more of you in her than me. At the age of seven I was still playing with dolls and had no thoughts of operating a business. And there's no way I would have had the courage to stand my ground with my father if he went all Mr. Control Freak like you do with Phoebe."

Christian laughs as he directs Ana towards the front door of Grey House. "So, when did you gain such courage?"

"When I tripped going through the doorway and landed at your feet. The reward has certainly been worth it." Ana responds with a giggle.

They stop and turn back when they hear Mia call "Christian! What's happened! You phone and demand I get here as quickly as possible, but don't take the time to explain."

"Mia!" Christian says through clinched teeth. "What the fuck do you think you were doing, getting a business license for Phoebe's Refreshments? For a seven year old!" Christian turns his glare from Mia to direct it at Ana when he hears her trying to suppress her giggle.

"Relax big brother!" Mia says, although she knows that will rile her brother even more. "What's the harm in children setting up a lemonade stand? That's a long time standing American tradition. It's not Phoebe's fault that society is so rule controlled that one needs a license. All I did was put my signature on the application at City Hall." Mia stands in front of Christian with her hands on her hips. "You should be proud of Phoebe. She came up with the idea to raise funds for Coping Together and got her siblings and cousin to help. She drew up a business plan as to expenses and what supplies were needed. All I did was obtain the license for her after she was turned down because of her age. And then yesterday I let Phoebe and Ava use my kitchen to bake cookies because it has restaurant quality ovens needed for my catering business."

"Let's take this discussion inside to my office. This family has provided enough fodder for the local gossips already today." Christian tells Ana and Mia.


	31. Chapter 31

An hour later, Andrea announces that Miss Phoebe Grey and others have arrived and are waiting in the conference room. "Christian, please be gentle on them." Ana asks her husband as they head to the conference room, followed by Mia.

Christian opens the door to the conference room and stops short in the doorway, causing Ana to bump into him. "Phoebe Grace Grey!" Christian exclaims in his firm CEO voice. "That chair may well be yours someday, but at this point in time, the head of the conference room table belongs to the current CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings – me."

Phoebe glares at her father, grey eyes locked with grey, as she stands up out of the chair. She heads to the opposite end of the table and as she flops into the chair, she rolls her eyes and lets out a heavy sigh. Christian takes the seat that Phoebe vacated and Ana repositions a chair to sit beside him at the head of the conference table. She reaches over to take one of Christian's hands in hers and give it a squeeze. Mia takes an empty seat along one of the sides of the table.

Christian clears this throat and looks at the people around the table. Each of the children squirm as his grey eyes look at them one by one. Christiana starts to tear up and her twin Carrick tries to comfort her. Teddy runs his hands through his copper locks, in the same manner as his father. Ava starts to tremble and is comforted by Mia who is sitting beside her. Phoebe is the only child not showing any signs of nervousness under the Christian Grey glare. Christian puts his hands together and taps his fingers against his lips.

"Phoebe." Christian says to get her attention. "As a father I am proud that you organized a fundraiser for charity, and I'm honored that you chose Coping Together as that charity. Your Aunt Mia has assured me that you had drawn up a business plan and did all of the organizing of supplies and people by yourself – even to the extent of knowing that one needed a business license to set up your stand on the sidewalk. I would like to see that business plan – I assume you have it at home?" Phoebe nods. His voice softens and continues "But what you didn't take into account was the publicity and security implications of setting up in front of Grey House. You are too young to be aware that, as the daughter of Christian Grey, there will always be people looking for the opportunity to take advantage of you. Not only did you put yourself at risk, but also your siblings and cousin. You all have security assigned to you, but it makes their job much more difficult when you draw attention to yourself." Christian picks up Ana's hand and raises it to his lips. "Your Mother had difficulty adjusting to this lifestyle when we were first together. It wasn't until she found herself in a life threatening situation when she was pregnant with Teddy that she realized the need for security. Not only did she put herself at risk, but also Teddy." Christian's voice starts to break as he continues "I almost lost them both because your Mother didn't follow her security protocol and evaded Sawyer. And if she had died, I wouldn't have had the pleasure of fathering you or your other siblings." Christian stands and walks around the table to the other end to take Phoebe into his arms. "With the crowd that formed around your lemonade stand, your security would not have been able to handle a dangerous situation. Fortunately, Taylor was able to provide additional security and get everything under control."

"I'm sorry Daddy." A teary-eyed Phoebe says as she hugs her father. "I didn't think about the crowd factor. I will apologize to Cooper and the others. I will also thank Taylor for insuring that nothing bad happened."

Christian wipes the tears from Phoebe's eyes and kisses the top of her head. "Okay. You are a very mature person to not only accept responsibility for your actions, but also to acknowledge your errors and make appends." Christian returns to his chair. "Now the punishment." He looks around at the worried young faces sitting around the table. "You have already done part of it when you delivered lemonade and cookies to the staff throughout this building. Tomorrow, you will do the same at Grey Publishing. By this I mean delivering the refreshments to the staff. You will NOT set up a lemonade stand outside." Christian looks at Mia. "Phoebe and Ava, I believe you'll need to get busy baking cookies at your Aunt Mia's. Off you all go."

As the children stand to leave the room, Christian asks Teddy to stay back for a minute. Once the other children are out of the room, Christian takes a seat beside Teddy. "Ted. Your sister is becoming a very forceful person. Don't let her push you around."

Teddy looks at his father. "I know she is. Don't worry. I can stand up to her. I thought her idea of setting up a lemonade stand to raise money for Coping Together was a great idea and I offered to help. I made sure I was the one collecting the money so that Carrick only had to take the tickets in exchange for the drinks and cookies. I was able to keep the line under control until it got too large just before you arrived. I'm sorry I hadn't thought of the security issue either. I will also apologize to everyone." Teddy looks at his mother and then his father. "Did Mom really put herself at risk when she was pregnant with me?"

Christian is about to answer when Ana says "Yes, Teddy. We had just found out about the pregnancy a few days earlier. I felt caged with Sawyer following me around and always having to report my whereabouts to Taylor and therefore your Father. Someone that hated both your father and me kidnapped your Aunt Mia and contacted me with a ransom demand. I managed to ditch Sawyer, obtained the money and met the kidnapper. I did have enough sense to bury my cell phone in the bag of money, knowing that Taylor would be tracking it. However, before your Father, Taylor and Sawyer got there, the kidnapper assaulted me and I was in a coma for several days. Fortunately, nothing happened to you and I recovered. You can understand why your Father is insistent that you and your siblings all have had security with you since the day you were born." Ana gets up and walks around to hug her eldest son. She kisses him on the cheek and says "Now go and join your siblings. Your Father and I will see you all at home later." Teddy hugs both parents before leaving the room.

"Well, Mr. Grey. This has been an exciting day. But I need to return to my office for the balance of the day." Ana says as she hugs her husband.

"Yes, I need to get back to my mergers and acquisitions." Christian says. "But I would much rather be punishing you for your laughing at me earlier." He gathers Ana to him for a deep kiss. They are both breathless when the break apart several minutes later.

They head out of the boardroom, hand in hand. Christian gives Ana another kiss before they part their ways in front of Andrea's desk. "Laters, Baby." they both say to the other at the same time.

"Any messages while I've been busy, Andrea?" Christian asks his Personal Assistant.

"Nothing earth shattering. Just numerous thank you's from people expressing their appreciation for the lemonade and cookies." Andrea responds. "Some want to know if this will be a daily event."

Christian laughs. "Do they think I've gone completely soft?"

"Everyone says that the children are adorable and you should have them visit more often." Andrea tells him.

"I don't know if Taylor and his staff would be able to handle visits on a regular basis." Christian laughs. "And I don't know if I would be able to hold off Ms CEO-in-waiting Phoebe. I'm sure there would soon be a _coup_ and I'd be out the door, unemployed. I don't plan on giving up the CEO position until I'm ready to retire." he says before heading into his office and closes the door.

A couple of hours later, Andrea announces that Taylor needs to see Christian. When Taylor walks in the room, he sets his ipad on Christian's desk. "I thought you would want to see this. It is the latest postings on the _Nooz_ blog." Taylor informs Christian.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Christian shouts as he scrolls through the photos taken earlier in the day of Phoebe's lemonade stand. The caption read '_Grey Family Fortune Lost? Grey children selling lemonade and cookies on street'_. Christian notices that any of the photos that would have shown the posted sign about proceeds for Coping Together have been altered so that the viewer would have no idea that money from the sales was destined for charity.

"I've had it!" Christian shouts. "This has to stop. They can fuck around with me, but they've stepped over the line exploiting my children." Christian picks up his phone and presses a button. "Ros. What's the status on the _Seattle Times_ acquisition?" He listens to her answer. "Fuck. I don't have the time to jump through all those hoops. I guess for now, I'll just have to settle getting that fucking bastard Rogers. That was my ultimate goal anyway, but I wanted the pleasure of firing that fucking asshole myself." Christian disconnects his phone and runs his hand through his copper hair.

"Taylor. Have someone get the car. We are going to pay a visit to the _Seattle Times_." Christian says. "I want you at my side." Christian looks at Taylor and smirks "You may need to hold me back."

"I always have your back, Sir." Taylor says with a smile. "Let's go kick some ass." Taylor places a call to have one of his assistants retrieve the SUV and meet them at the front door of Grey House.

When they arrive at the _Seattle Times_ office, Taylor steps out of the SUV and opens the back door for Christian to step out. The two men walk into the building and walk side by side to the reception desk. The woman sitting at the desk turns from her computer with a bored look on her face. Her expression quickly changes as she sees Christian Grey standing in front of her, in full CEO mode. With a seductive smile on her face and a gleam in her eye she purrs "Hello there Handsome. I'm Susan. How may I help you, Sir?"

"Christian Grey to see Alan Templeton." Christian says aloud as he thinks to himself "_Fuck! It's just a face_." "No I don't have an appointment, but I'm sure he can make time to see me."

"I'm not sure, Mr. Grey. Let me check with his Personal Assistant." Susan says as she picks up the phone. When she hangs up, she turns to Christian and says "I am sorry. Mr. Templeton is in a meeting. He will have a half hour free tomorrow morning at 11:00 a.m. if you would like to return then."

"No I fucking don't want to return tomorrow morning." Christian says. "If he knows what's best for him, he will make himself available. Now." Christian turns and strides over to the elevator that Taylor has been holding open, waiting for him. "Thanks Jason." Christian says as the elevators close on them. "Let's hope this elevator is quicker than their security."

When the elevator doors open on the top floor, there is no welcoming committee of Security waiting for them. As Taylor and Christian stride past his desk, Todd Bickerton, Personal Assistant to Alan Templeton, jumps up to try to stop them. "Mr. Templeton is not available to see you until tomorrow Mr. Grey."

Taylor looks at Bickerton who is standing in front of the door to Templeton's office. "You have two seconds to step aside or I will physically remove you." Taylor says as he glares at him. Bickerton wisely steps aside. Christian steps around Bickerton and opens the door to Alan Templeton's office.

"What is going on?" Templeton angrily questions as he looks up from his desk. "My apologies for this interruption." He says to the people sitting in front of his desk.

Christian glares at Templeton. "I want Simon Roger's head on a platter! At minimum I want his sorry fucking ass fired. IMMEDIATELY." Christian says forcefully. "I have had enough of his bullshit providing fodder to that sleazy _Seattle Nooz_. But he crossed the line when he involved my children and niece." At Templeton's look of shock, he continued "And you just better hope to fucking hell that I never find out that you had any involvement in these attacks."

"What the hell are you talking about Grey?" Templeton manages to sputter out.

"This!" Christian says as he sets an ipad down on the desk in front of Templeton. With shaking hands, Templeton takes the ipad and starts moving through the various photos and posted blogs.

"Rogers has been behind these?" Templeton questions. "I had no idea."

"Yes." Christian assures him. "And I believe that he used _Times_ resources to do so." Christian glares at Templeton. "As I said I want him gone. I won't repeat myself. If you won't do it as his publisher, I will buy the _Times_, or the entire chain if need be, and do it myself. But I don't want to have to wait that long."

"You're the one behind the attempts at purchasing the _Times_?" Templeton questioned. Christian nods his head. "My newspaper is NOT for sale." Templeton gestures to the two people still sitting in front of his desk. "This is my legal counsel, Mary Smith, and business advisor, Justin Cunningham. We were just discussing the rumours that have been cropping up the past couple of days.

"Strange. I've always found that everything is for sale – at the right price." Christian says with a smirk. "Now, are you going to fire that fucking bastard, or do I have to proceed with the purchase and fire your ass as well?"

Templeton picks up his phone and presses a button. "Todd. Tell Security to stand down. And get Simon Rogers up here immediately." He hangs up and looks at Christian "Satisfied?"

"For now." Christian says. He goes to beside the office door. Since entering the room, Taylor has been standing with his back leaning against the door. He moves to the other side of the door. A few minutes later, Todd announces the arrival of Simon Rogers.

"You asked to see me Alan?" Rogers questions as he strides confidently into the room. Taylor closes the door behind him. Rogers turns to see who had closed the door and pales when he sees Christian Grey and Jason Taylor standing barricading his only escape route. Rogers turns to Templeton. "What's going on?" he questions.

"Christian Grey is claiming that you are behind the attacks on him and his family that have been appearing in the _Seattle Nooz _the past few days." Templeton says. "Is this true?"

Rogers stammers "No, of course not. Why would I?"

"We're not quite sure. Yet." Christian says as Jason stands on the other side of the door frame, cracking his knuckles. "My team is still working on it, but we do have proof that you hired the photographer that arrived with the room service delivery to my hotel room very early in the morning the other day. It is just a matter of time before we have proof that you are the one that have been writing the articles as well."

Rogers sighs, looking at Taylor, and tries to pull himself together "That photographer was supposed to get pictures of your brother Elliott with another woman." Rogers says. "Elena Lincoln assured me that he had checked into the room with his secretary." Rogers looks at Christian. "I was surprised that the pictures were of you and your wife."

"You fucking bastard!" Christian shouts. He starts towards Rogers, but Taylor pulls him back. "You knew who was in the pictures and you still proceeded with publishing them. And then wrote a bullshit article along with them." Christian shouted. "But you crossed the fucking line when you did the story on my children and niece. Just answer one question: Why this personal attack on my family?"

"Oh the high and mighty Christian Grey! The Master of the Universe." Rogers sneers. "You and your wife might be above reproach, but can the same be said about that man whore of a brother?" He shakes head. "Even after all these years, I don't know why Kate broke off our engagement to go back to that bastard. I've always hoped that she would see the light and dump that SOB once and for all."

"I think Kate is old enough to make her own decision. And if she, for whatever reason, chose to take Elliott back, that's a matter between her and Elliott. No one forced her to go back to Elliott two years ago." Christian said. He looks at Rogers and says "Would you really want a relationship with someone that you had to force to be with you?"

Rogers pulls himself up tight and glares at Christian. "You have no right to criticize me, Grey. I'm sure if you were in my position, you would do anything you possibly could to get Ana back." he says forcefully.

"You have no idea what I would or wouldn't do." Christian says through clenched teeth as he admits to himself that he would do whatever it took to get Ana back. His subconscious reminds him he did indeed to whatever it would take to get Ana back. Ana had returned to him of her own free will after the belt incident ten years ago, but only after he was able to convince her that he wanted more and was capable of hearts and flowers. Christian glares at Rogers and says "I certainly wouldn't invade the privacy of her extended family, especially children. You pushed the line when you arranged the publication of the naked photos of my wife and me but you crossed the fucking line when you exploited my children and niece – the daughter of the women you claim you still love."

As Rogers is about to respond, Christian cuts him off. "Don't bother trying to justify your actions. Those articles are not journalism. And if I have any say in the matter, you won't have a job at the _Seattle Times_ by the end of today." Christian says calmly. He turns to Templeton. "Thank you for seeing me with without an appointment. I look forward to hearing from you concerning a status update. Good day." Christian turns and leaves the office, followed by Taylor.

An hour later, Andrea notifies Christian that Alan Templeton is on the phone for him. Christian picks up his phone "Grey. Tell me what I want to hear, Templeton."

"Good day to you too Grey." Templeton responds. "Simon did admit that he was the one that provided the photos and text to the _Nooz_. He has been terminated from _The Seattle Times_ and was just escorted out of the building."

"Nice doing business with you." Christian says and disconnects. He contacts Ros to tell her to suspend pursuing the purchase of _The Seattle Times_. He next contacts Taylor to tell him that Rogers has been terminated and asks him to have Welch set up surveillance on him. "I don't want a repeat of that fucker Hyde." Christian tells him.

Christian smiles as he starts his next phone call. "Hello Anastasia." He purrs. "Just thought I should call to inform you that Simon Rogers has been terminated from _The Seattle Times_. He was the one behind providing the photos to _The Nooz_, as well as the slanderous text that was published."

"Simon? You're kidding me!" Ana exclaims. "What does he have against us? We welcomed him into our home when he was dating and then engaged to Kate."

"I know Ana. Apparently he thought that if he was able to catch Elliott in a compromising position and make it public, Kate would dump my sorry ass brother and run back into his arms." Christian summarized.

"But the photographer wasn't able to get pictures of that." Ana said. "So why publish the ones of us and the lies of the stories?" She growls "As well as stooping so low to publish the children's pictures."

"The man is delusional. He really seemed to think that by going after us, Kate would leave Elliott for him." Christian said.

"Wait a minute!" Ana exclaims. "Do you mean that you confronted Simon? I hope that Jason was there to have your back."

"Relax Ana. Yes, Taylor was with me. And except for a brief moment in time when Taylor had to restrain me, I was the perfect gentleman." At Ana's giggle, Christian growled and said "I know you're rolling your eyes, Anastasia. But I'll deal with that later tonight."

"Promise?" Ana says breathlessly. "I'm looking forward to that. Sir. I love you Christian."

"I love you, Anastasia. Laters, Baby." Christian says before disconnecting.


	32. Chapter 32

"Taylor." Jason Taylor barks into the phone. He is sitting in his office on the executive floor of Grey House waiting for Christian to finish a conference call with people in Taiwan so that they can end home to their wives. "Sorry Andrea." He says when the caller identifies herself. "It's been a long day and just one more stressful day. What can I do for you?"

Thirty seconds later Taylor loses his temper and shouts into the phone. "What the fucking hell do you mean that you have Elena Lincoln is on the phone demanding to speak to Mr. Grey? How the fuck did the call get through to you?" Taylor listens for a few seconds before saying "I agree Andrea. You certainly don't need to put up with any shit from that bitch." He sighs and says "Put the call through to me. Thank fuck Grey was unavailable."

"What the fucking hell are you calling here?" Taylor barks into the phone after Andrea transfers the call to Taylor.

"Taylor, that's not nice language to use when speaking to a lady." Elena chastises him.

"I don't when I'm speaking to a lady. But right now, I'm not talking to lady. So tell me why the fuck are you calling here?" He smiles when he hears Elena's gasp. _"Take that bitch." _he says to himself.

"Now, Jason. We haven't talked in almost ten years. Don't you think I'm entitled to a little civility?" Elena purrs. "But I have to admit, it's not you I need to talk to. I was calling to speak to Christian, but his secretary won't put me through."

"Why the fuck would you think that Christian Grey would want to speak to you?" Taylor questions. "His _Personal Assistant _transferred you to me for me to tell you to 'Go Fuck Yourself'."

"Maybe I'm doing that already, Taylor." Elena purrs. "And that's why I was calling Christian. So that he could stroke himself off while I'm fucking myself." She laughs and says "It would be like his university days when I was in Seattle and he was on the outside of the country at Harvard . Oh I'm getting hot from the memories."

"I believe that would be menopause." Taylor says. "Do you not have a boy toy to keep you occupied anymore?"

"That's why I need to speak to Christian." Elena says. "It's an urgent, private matter Taylor, so just put me through to Christian."

"What? They won't let you have your boy toy in jail?" Taylor questions. "I must say, that certainly made my day the other day when I saw the news clip of your arrest. Quite the celebration at the Grey house that evening."

"Getting pretty high and mighty, aren't you Taylor. You're still just the hired muscle and easily replaced." Elena says, trying to taunt Taylor. "Enough of this chit chat. Just put me through to Christian." She demands. "I'm sure he will want to hear what I have to say."

"Too fucking bad. You were told that he was not available. He hasn't wanted to talk to you for the past ten years, so I can't think of anything you would have to say that would change that. Good Riddance." Taylor says before slamming the phone down.

He takes a deep breath before picking up the receiver and pressing a button for Reception. "Why the fuck was Elena Lincoln call transferred up to Mr. Grey's Office? Do you not check the fucking 'No call list' before transferring calls up to the office?" He listens to the person at the other end. "Don't give me any fucking excuses. That bitch is NOT to get put through to the executive offices EVER again, or heads will roll." Taylor slams the receiver down.

"Tough day?" Christian says with a smirk as he's leaning again the doorframe of Taylor's office.

"You don't want to know, Boss." Taylor says with a sigh. "Just give me a minute." He says as he picks up the phone again. "Welch. Need intel on The Bitch's whereabouts. She must have been released from jail. Why hadn't I been informed? We'll need to set up surveillance on her. She just called Grey House and due to a snafu, got put through to the Executive Office. Fortunately, Mr. Grey was on a conference call and Andrea transferred her to me. But I wouldn't put it past her to try to get into the building." He listens and says "Need to know the terms of her bail. She'd have to cross state lines to get here and that would likely violate her bail." He hangs up and looks up at Christian. "Yes, you heard right."

"Sounds like you have everything under control." Christian says. "You are correct – I don't want to have to talk or see that pedophile. Except in court. Let's go home to our loving wives."

Later that evening Ana goes in search of Christian after having checked on the sleeping children. As she expected, she finds him in his home office. When she walks into the office, he looks up and flashes his mega-watt smile when he sees her. She walks across the room and sits on his lap, snuggling against his chest.

"Okay. Your spawn are all asleep in their beds. Tell me what's bothering you." Ana says as she caresses his cheek.

Christian returns the caress as he questions "Why would you think that something is bothering me?" Ana pulls back in his arms and raises her eyebrows. "Okay. You know me so well." He groans as he pulls her back tight to his chest. "While I was on a conference call late this afternoon, Andrea transferred a phone call to Jason. The caller was Elena, demanding to speak to me."

Ana stiffened in his arms until Christian rubbed her back, and ran kisses through her hair. "You mean she's out of jail?" Christian nods. "What did that Bitch Troll want?" Ana finally asked when she got herself until control.

"We don't know. She refused to tell Jason and he refused to put the call through to me. Jason has Welch working on things to set up surveillance and investigating into the terms of her bail."

"Will that Bitch ever be out of our lives?" Ana questions. "It has been so peaceful these past few years after she left Seattle. Hopefully that peace will return once she's behind bars."

"I hope so too, Ana." Christian says. "Enough about her. Let's go to bed. I want to make sweet vanilla love all night long to my wife." He stands up with Ana still in his arms and carries upstairs to their bedroom.

A few days later, Christian and Ana are at WSU attending an afternoon Open House reception publicizing the research work being done at the agricultural farms. They had flown from Seattle to Portland in Charlie Tango to save time and ensure that they would be back in Seattle in time for dinner with the children. Taylor and Sawyer had flown with them, but had arranged for Reynolds and Jennings to meet them with Christian's SUV for ground transportation. Christian prefers to use his own transportation whenever possible to ensure the safety of himself and his family. All of his and Ana's vehicles are modified with bullet proof glass and tracking devices.

Christian and Ana have spent the afternoon mingling among the crowd. Christian showed great interest in the research taking place to increase harvest yields and how different methods could be applied in third world countries. While Christian toured some of the fields, Ana stayed in the reception hall, taking advantage of sofas to give her feet a rest. Wearing five inch heels make her feel sexy, and drive Christian wild, but standing around for hours on end take their toll, especially when she is pregnant.

Ana has been sitting on a couch talking to some graduate students about campus life, waiting for Christian to return. Ana was starting to feel the need for a trip to the washroom. She excused herself from the students to locate a washroom. As she leaves the main room, Sawyer follows her into the hallway. "I'll be fine, Luke. I'm just going to the washroom." She points to a door half-way along the hall. "See Luke. The door is right there. I'll be fine. Just stay here." As Ana enters the Ladies' room, her bladder is feeling full and she rushes into the first empty stall she sees. When she finishes, she opens the stall door to head to the sink to wash her hands.

Ana pales when she hears "Hello Anastasia. Long time, no see." Ana looks in the mirror and sees the reflection of Elena Lincoln standing behind her.

"Why are you here? And how the fuck did you get in here?" Ana asks.

Elena laughs. "How? This Open House is open to the public. It was just a matter of avoiding Taylor and his minions." Elena snickers. "It wasn't too difficult. I would have thought dear Jason would have tightened up security procedures after the ease that poor Leila had getting so close to you and Christian all those years ago. It's a wonder Christian never fired his sorry ass."

While keeping an eye on Elena, Ana turns back to face the mirror where she can still see Elena. Ana reaches into her purse to pull out her lipstick and leans towards the mirror to reapply her lipstick. "I'll ask you again. Why?" Ana demanded.

"I need to talk to Christian." Elena tells her. "I've tried phoning GEH but can't get through to Christian's line. I saw an ad in the newspaper about this Open House and thought I'd be able to get past Taylor." Elena smirks and adds "And I was right. I knew you'd have to use the washroom at some point and once they did their preliminary security check, Taylor's male team wouldn't likely venture in here."

"But Christian isn't here. I am." Ana points out.

"You have been Christian's weak link since you bewildered him ten years ago. So if I can't talk to Christian directly, I'll have to settle for you. Just as Christian did when he married you ten years ago." Elena says.

"You've got sixty seconds to tell me before I bitch slap you, you pervert. I learn from the best – Grace Trevelyan Grey. You _do_ remember her bitch slap, don't you?" Ana says with a smirk.

"My, my. The young, virginal Ana Steele has certainly grown up." Elena says. "I just want to ask Christian if he's made contact with his son Andrew." And Ana's questioning look, she elaborates "You know, the young lad that works in my salon."

"You mean your latest underage victim, Mrs. Robinson?" Ana asks. "Weren't you recently arrested for having sex with a minor? Finally."

"Oh that? I'm sure I'll be cleared of those charges." Elena says with a wave of her hand. "I just need to get myself a good lawyer. But they cost money. I need Christian's advice for a lawyer. And I'll likely need his financial assistance to pay the lawyer. It's his fault that I don't have my chain of salons anymore."

Ana stares at Elena incredulously at Elena's arrogance that Christian would provide financial assistance to obtain a lawyer to defend the paedophile that had seduced him at the age of fifteen. "You really think that Christian would pay your legal fees? To defend you violating another minor? You're crazy."

"I didn't violate Andrew. Like with Christian, my relationship with Andrew has been consensual. Unfortunately, I got a bit extreme with Andrew one night. I'm still testing his endurance levels and alas he just isn't as quick a learner as dear Christian was at that fine age. Teenage boys are so grateful to have sex on a regular basis, especially with a knowledge woman. And it's so much better getting them when they're young to mold them into what you want." She smiles slyly as she continues "I was still excited having met with Christian earlier in the day. Even after all the years, seeing Christian gets me hot and bothered. When Andrew and I got home that evening and he looked at me with longing in those grey eyes of his, I remembered how eager Christian always was for me at that age. Alas, I gave too much credit to the genes Andrew should have inherited from both his parents." Elena sighs before saying wistfully "Christian and Amber were both such good submissives and both had a very high threshold for pain. Who would have thought that their son couldn't handle the same level of pain?"

"You're still as delusional as you were ten years ago when you thought Christian would consider resuming a sexual relationship with you." Ana says with a laugh. "What makes you think Andrew Downing is Christian's son? His birth certificate lists his father as Jeremy Downing."

"Oh come now, Anastasia. You can't still be that naïve after living with Christian Grey for the past ten years." Elena chides her. "A hospital will put any name down on the birth documents. Do you really think poor Amber would have risked violating her NDA by putting Christian's name on the birth certificate?" Elena puts a tissue to her eye as if to dry a tear. "Poor Amber was so devastated when Christian abruptly ended their contract. And then she discovered she was pregnant with Christian's child." Elena shakes her head. "The poor dear didn't know what to do. She had been an illegitimate child herself and she didn't want her child to have to encounter the same social stigma. She met Jeremy Downing and was able to convince him to marry her and raise her child as his."

"Really, Elena?" Ana questions. "That's quite a story. With your imagination, you should write a book. Just don't expect Grey Publishing to publish it." Ana reaches her hand out and Elena starts to flinch in anticipation of the threatened bitch slap. Instead, Ana pats her cheek and says "As long as I'm CEO of Grey Publishing, we won't be publishing trash like that. And once I put the word out, I'm sure most of my competitors wouldn't either." Ana looks at Elena and continues "If you think Grace had influence in Seattle's social circles ten years ago, you wouldn't _believe_ the influence I have in the publishing world." Ana smiles and says "Even in this electronic age, 'the pen is still mightier than the sword'."

Ana laughs at Elena's gasp. Ana picks up her purse and turns to head to the door of the washroom. As she opens the door, she reaches into her purse and pulls out her phone. "Did you get all that, Luke?" Ana asks. Luke Sawyer is standing in front of the door.

"Sure did, Ana. You did great!" Luke tells her. "I was able to patch it through to Jennings in the SUV and he has been recording it.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" Elena shrieks behind Ana.

Ana turns back to Elena and waves the phone in the air. "You must have forgotten Christian's need to have the latest and greatest espionage equipment to enable his stalking tendencies." Ana smiles as she continues "It saved my life, as well as Teddy's, when Jack Hyde kidnapped us, so I've willing gone along with it ever since." Ana smile widens as she says "And this time you're going down, Bitch!"

Luke steps aside as Ana strides out the door and past him into Christian's waiting arms. While Christian and Ana stand embracing each other in the hallway, Luke and Jason lead the campus security officers into the washroom to take Elena into custody until the city police arrive.

"Oh Baby!" Christian says as he continues to hold Ana tight to his body, his hands running over her body to ensure she was still in one piece. "I was so scared when I returned to the reception room and I didn't see you. Jason spotted Luke in the hallway at the same time as Luke was transmitting a message that you had pressed the emergency button on your phone." Christian cups Ana's face in his hands and lowers his mouth to lightly brush her lips. "It was all Jason could do to stop me from storming the washroom to rescue you." He brushes her lips again. "But you didn't need rescuing. You were fantastic, Anastasia!"

"Did Elena say enough to incriminate herself?" Ana asks. "I thought if I antagonized her enough, she might lose control." Ana giggles "And I was right! My one regret is that I didn't bitch slap her. But I didn't want to give her grounds to charge me with assault."

"Good decision." Christian tells her. He looks up and sees that Jason is hovering nearby. "Are we good to go home, Jason?" Christian asks.

"Yes." Jason replies. Jennings has turned the recording over to the police." At Christian's frown, Jason continues "But only after Welch confirmed that he received the copy Jennings had sent him." Jason turned to Ana to ask "What made you think to activate the audio on your phone when you pressed the emergency button?"

"I'm not sure." Ana answered. "I remembered how the tracking feature on my phone was beneficial for you all to get to me in time when Jack and Elizabeth had kidnapped me. I didn't think my life was necessarily in danger this time, but I thought it might be a good thing to get her delusional thoughts on record."

"Well, once again, you're quick thinking was beneficial." Jason tells her. He glances at Christian before grinning and saying "I hope you only need to do that quick thinking once every ten years." He motions his head towards Christian. "I don't think this guy here could survive." Jason laughs and says "It's a wonder he has any hair left, the way he was tugging on it."

Ana giggles and wraps her arms around Christian. "Oh Fifty!" She reaches a hand up to run her fingers through his hair. "I love your copper hair. Don't lose it."

Christian pulls Ana even closer to him. He looks at Jason and says "Well, it was either that or pound the shit out of you when you kept blocking me from going to Ana's rescue." Christian laughs before adding "I guess I need to increase my workouts with Bastille. I'm getting soft."

"No you're not." Ana whispers to Christian as she feels his cock hardening against her leg. "Take me home." Ana said out loud.


	33. Chapter 33

The next morning, Christian and Ana are lying in bed enjoying the afterglow of their wake up sex. Ana runs her fingers through Christian's chest hair and circles his nipples. "What Anastasia?"

"What do you mean?" Ana asks as she looks at Christian through her lashes.

"When you start acting like this, you're trying to work up the courage to either tell me something or ask me a question." Christian explains. He flashes his mega-watt smile. "Two can play this game." He says as he runs a finger from Ana's neck down over a breast before circling the nipple and then repeating on the other breast. His eyes start to glaze over when he hears Ana catch her breath. "Breath Ana." He orders.

Christian raises himself up on his elbow and pushes Ana flat on her back as he leans over to replace his fingers with his mouth. "Better tell or ask now, or it could be awhile before you have the chance again, Anastasia."

Ana wraps a hand around the back of Christian's head to keep his mouth on her breast. She moans before she finds the voice to say "Do you think that Andrew Downing is really your son?"

Christian stops his ministrations on Ana's breast and raises his head to look down into her eyes – grey eyes gazing into blue. With a heavy sigh, Christian pulls himself up to sit on the back, adjusting pillows against the headboard for support. He pulls Ana up into his arms and gazes into her eyes once again.

He lifts a hand to run through his hair. "I really don't know. Until you turned my life upside down, I always prided myself in ensuring I didn't procreate. I was fifty shades of fuckedup, I couldn't envision passing that along to a poor innocent child." He sighs again and continues "But, I always hated using condoms and once I knew the woman was on birth control, I didn't use them." He smiles ruefully and leans over to brush Ana's lips with his. "And Teddy is living proof that birth control isn't 100%." Christian runs his hand through his hair. "Fuck! If it happened with you, maybe it happened with Amber. I just don't know at this point. We should be getting the paternity test results back soon."

Ana snuggles against Christian. "Elena spoke very confidently that Andrew is your son." Ana shudders and says "Even to the point that she seduced the poor boy as a replacement for you."

Christian runs his hand over Ana's bare back and grins as he hears Ana catch her breath and shiver. "Elena did give you a convincing story of a timeline that Amber was pregnant before she met Jeremy Downing." Christian sighed and said "But she is so delusional, who knows if that part is true or if she even had contact with Amber after I ended the contract. Once the contract was ended, I didn't have any contact with the subs. However, they may have continued using Elena's salons, as well as keeping in contact with Elena. The women I chose as subs had all been recommended by Elena." Christian smiles at Ana "Except for you. You were the only woman I had pursued to be my Submissive without having been short-listed by her. Another first for us, Anastasia."

Christian sits up straight and pulls Ana up to sit on his lap facing him. He cups her face and his grey stare into her blue eyes. "Anastasia. I asked you the other day how you would feel if I had fathered a child with a sub. At the time, you said you were alright with it has it was pre-Ana." Christian strokes her hair. "Do you still feel that way? You've had a few days to think about it and the possible ramifications on our lives."

Ana reaches her arms out to cup Christian's face and locks eyes with him. "Christian. You are the love of my life. I may have just been fresh out of college when we met, but you're six years older than I am and had been a very successful businessman for several years before we met. It would stand to reason that you had a life, however kinky, before me. And if that life resulted in a child, then so be it. If you had been married and divorced before we met, you probably would have had children from that marriage. And I would love any child of yours regardless of whether I am the biological mother of that child. Just as Carrick and Grace have always loved you, Elliott and Mia."

"So you're not disappointed in me not having been part of Andrew's life?" Christian asks.

"How could I be? It's not like you knew of his existence. For whatever reason, Amber never informed you of the baby, so you can't be faulted for not participating in the child's life." Ana assured Christian. "And we still don't know for sure whether you are his father."

"Are you concerned about the reaction of the children, if it is true?" Christian asks. "The older ones always seem to accept the birth of another sibling. And I know from personal experience when Mia was adopted as a baby, it is easy to accept an innocent baby. But Andrew is almost an adult. How will Teddy deal with suddenly having an older brother?"

"Honestly, I don't know Christian. I would like to think that the children will accept Andrew unconditionally – just as I will. But I guess it really remains to be seen. If Andrew is into baseball and willing to play catch with Teddy, I'm sure Teddy would give his seal of approval."

"What about inheritance? That often causes problems in families. Will our children resent someone else having a share?" Christian asks.

Ana giggles. "Really Christian? You're currently worth how many billions? And how many more billions will you have when you die of old age? I'm sure our seven, eight, or how ever many children we end up having, are not going to miss the pie being cut into one more piece." Ana leans forward to brush her lips against his. "We still don't know for sure whether you are Andrew's father or not. So until we know for sure, there isn't any sense on pondering on 'what ifs'." She wiggles on his lap, rubbing her vagina against his quickly hardening cock. "There are many other things we could be doing, Sir."

"Really, Mrs. Grey? And what would they be?" Christian asks as his eyes glaze over. His hand reaches out to rub her clitoris and insert a finger into her vagina. He grins as she moan and grinds her body against his hand. "Anastasia, you are always so ready for me." He says huskily.

"Of course." Ana responds as she repositions herself so Christian's cock is inside her.

"Oh yes, Baby." Christian says as he takes hold of Ana by her waist and lifts her up and down. The more she moans, the faster he moves her body. "Come for me, Ana." He encourages as he feels her body start to tremble in an orgasm.

"CHRISTIAN!" Ana shouts as the orgasm overtakes her body. Christian continues moving her on and off his rigid cock.

"Oh yes, Baby. I'm going to come!" Christian shouts. A couple more thrusts and Christian yells "ANASTASIA!" as he comes which triggers another orgasm for Ana. As they try to both catch their breath, Ana collapses on Christian's chest.

As Christian wraps his arms around her to keep her close to his chest, she smiles in appreciation that not only is she able to rest on his chest, but he encourages it. She can still remember the day that Christian used lipstick to map out the no-touch zones on his body so that she knew where she could and could not touch him. Now there are no forbidden areas on his body. "_Only for me and the children. His body is forbidden for other women."_ She tells herself.

Just after lunch, Ana is in her office at Grey Publishing reading through a manuscript from a promising new author. She is so wrapped up in the story that at first the ring tones of _My King is Love_ do not register. She picks up her phone and says "I love you Christian."

"I love you too, Anastasia." Christian responds with a smile. "But that's not why I'm calling. I was just contacted by Dr. Brown from OHSU Hospital to inform me that Andrew has come out of his coma. He's still in ICU, but Dr. Brown is allowing me to see him. Jason and I are leaving shortly to fly there in Charlie Tango. I'm not sure what time tonight we'll be back, but definitely not in time for dinner. You'll need to do dinner with the kids without me. And Luke will need to drive you home this evening."

"I'm glad to hear that Andrew is out of the coma. Do what you need to do, Christian. I'd like to go with you for support, but I agree I should stay to be with the children. We'll miss you. Keep me updated."

"I'll miss you all too. Laters, Baby." Christian says before disconnecting the call.

Ana places another call. "Hi Gail." She says when the call is answered. "I assume you've heard from Jason?"

"Yes, I just got off the phone with him." Gail answers. "Owens is organizing the flight plan now and should be leaving here shortly to stop at GEH to pick up Christian and Jason before heading to OHSU."

"Christian didn't mention that Owens would be piloting. But I'm relieved as I was concerned about Christian flying back and not knowing what he might find out while in Portland." Ana says as she bites her lip. "What are the plans for dinner?"

"I haven't started preparing anything yet. What are you wanting?" Gail answers.

"I thought maybe doing something special with the children. Since Christian won't be home for dinner, I was thinking of something unhealthy." Ana giggles. "How about a pizza party in the media room while we watch movies? It's been raining on and off all day, so the children won't be spending time outside. You and Sophie are welcome to join us."

"That sounds like a great idea. I'll have the dough and fixings prepared. When you get home, we can help the children make individual pizzas. I'd be happy to join in on the fun. Sophie is planning on going out with some friends."

"Okay. I'll try to get away a bit early. I'll call when I'm leaving GP." Ana says. "Bye." Ana disconnects and picks up the manuscript she had been reading when Christian had called. She had been so wrapped up in the story that she had not heard her phone at first. But now she finds that she cannot get back into the story as her mind keeps thinking of what Christian may discover when he talks to Andrew. She seems to be the only one that is able to keep Christian calm when his fifty shades threaten to take control. "_Jason is with him and has had to deal with most of the fifty shades over the years. He will bring Christian home to me in one piece."_ Ana tells herself.

Shortly after 3:00 p.m. Ana returns to her office from the staff meeting in the conference room. She smiles as everything is going well with Grey Publishing. The editors are enthusiastic about their various authors and plans are proceeding on schedule for establishing branch offices in Toronto and London. Ana runs her hand over her stomach and thinks _"Well, Lucky. You may force me to rearrange my travel schedule. But fortunately, I have assistants more than capable of filling in for me when on-site visits would be necessary. Otherwise, video conferencing will need to suffice."_

As she had passed through the outer office, she had confirmed with Hannah that there were no more meetings scheduled for the day and no phone calls that could not wait until the following day.

"Hannah. It's been a stressful few days and Christian and Jason have had to go to Portland and won't be back until late this evening, so Luke will need to drive me home. I'm going to head home shortly to have pizza and movie night with the kids. Why don't you arrange for any calls to be forwarded to Reception and leave with us. There's no sense in Luke having to come back into town to pick you up." Ana tells her Personal Assistant. When Hannah moved in to Luke's apartment in the security complex on the grounds of Grey Manor, Hannah and Luke would travel together to work, leaving Ana to travel into town with Christian and Taylor, being dropped off at Grey Publishing before they proceeded on to Grey House. Luke's earlier arrival at Grey Publishing gives him an opportunity to do a sweep of the building before Ana's arrival.

"Thanks, Ana. That will be great. I'll notify Reception and then I'll collect Rebecca from Day Care. We'll meet you and Luke in the foyer."

Ana phones Luke to inform him that she would be leaving in ten minutes and his wife and daughter will be coming with them to save him another trip into town. She then phones Gail to let her know that she was coming home early. She straightens up her desk and puts some manuscripts in her bag to take home. Luke arrives at her office and walks with her down to the foyer to find Hannah and Rebecca already there. Ana smiles as she watches Luke greet his wife and infant daughter. _"All things considered, life is good for the Grey extended family."_ Ana tells herself.

When they arrive at Grey Manor, Luke drives to the front door and gets out of the vehicle to open the rear door for Ana. As Ana walks into the house, she sets her messenger bag on the bench in the foyer and heads to the kitchen in search of Gail.

"Mom! You're home early." Phoebe says as she looks up from chopping vegetables for the pizzas. "Teddy and I are helping Mrs. Taylor get the toppings ready for our pizzas." She explains.

Ana smiles at the sight of her two oldest children working in the kitchen. She sees that Teddy is on cheese grating detail, but she know that he is as capable as Phoebe in chopping vegetables, unlike their father. Ana smiles to herself as she remembers Christian's attempt in chopping vegetables for a stir fry, the first time she had cooked for him. Teaching the children kitchen knife skills is one of the battles that Christian chose not to fight when Ana first announced that their children would be self-sufficient in the kitchen. Christian still shudders at the safety factor putting knives into the hands of children. "Hi Phoebe, Teddy." Ana says as she hugs of them. "My meetings were over, so I thought rather than sit in my office reading transcripts, I'd do it from home."

Ana turned to Gail to say "Let me go and change out of my work clothes and I'll be back down to help too. Where are the other children?"

"I believe they are in the family room playing. Mrs. Livingston is with them. But they may still be in the media room picking out movies to watch." Gail responds. "How long a marathon are you planning?" Gail laughs. "I believe each child has picked out at least two movies and no duplication."

Ana rolls her eyes and giggles. "Thanks for the heads up. I might have to do a 'Christian' and go into CEO mode to shortlist the selection down to a reasonable number." Gail laughs.

Upstairs, Ana changes into jeans and a t-shirt before returning downstairs and went in search of her younger children. "Mommy!" Lucas and Jason shout in unison when Ana walks into the family room. They run across the room and throw themselves into her waiting arms as she kneels down to their level.

"You're early, Mommy." Christiana says. "Is Daddy home, too?" she asks as she looks past Ana in the hopes of spotting Christian.

"No, sweetheart. Daddy and Taylor had to go to Portland and will be late getting back. So we're going to have a pizza and movie night. I hear you have all picked out some movies?"

"Yes, Mommy." Carrick says. "But Christiana picked some yucky ones. And she says she can't watch any monster movies."

"Oh my." Ana says with an exaggerated sigh. She looks over at Mildred Livingston, the children's nanny who has a smile on her face. "Did they get quite physical, Mrs. Livingston?"

"Not quite, Mrs. Grey." Mildred responds. "Just a battle of wills and some tears. I was about to step in to separate and give them time outs, when Master Teddy talked to them and they reached a compromise."

"That's good." Ana replies. "Sounds like Teddy may have a career as a negotiator." Ana turns her attention back to the children. "Okay, everyone. Let's go to the kitchen so that we can make our own pizzas. Mrs. Taylor has dough ready for individual pizzas and Phoebe and Teddy have the toppings ready."

"Yeah!" the children yell as they go running towards the kitchen.

"No running in the house!" Ana calls. "Just because your father isn't here, doesn't mean _all_ the rules are tossed out." She says with a smile.

"Mrs. Grey? May I leave early today?" Mrs. Livingston asks. "I have plans to meet some friends for dinner and I would like to do some errands before meeting them."

"Of course, Mildred." Ana says. "Have fun." Ana heads to the kitchen to assist Gail in overseeing the children assembling their pizzas.

Later in the evening, Ana is relaxing on one of the recliner loveseats in the media room. She looks up from her manuscript to look around the room. Gail is also in a recliner enjoying the current movie. The children are either on recliners or laying on the floor with pillows and blankets. The younger ones have fallen asleep, but Ana decided to leave them be rather than interrupting the movie. She smiles as she reflects back on the dinner making. The children assembling their own pizzas were a big hit with them, although it was very noisy and messy. _"We should try it again sometime with Christian. Although it would likely test his tolerance level."_ Ana says to herself. The whole evening has been a good distraction as her thoughts continue to revert back to what Christian may be encountering in Portland. She would like to have gone with him to be at his side for support, but being with the children is also important. Knowing that Ana would be with the children for dinner and the evening, Christian would have one less thing to worry about and be able to concentrate on whatever he encounters in Portland.

Ana picks up her phone, which hasn't left her side all evening. Ana is starting to get concerned as there are still no calls or texts from Christian. She types in a text:

**How are things going? Hope no news is good news. Love, Ana**

Her heart skips a beat a minute later when she gets a text back:

**Will talk when I get home. Leaving shortly. Miss u. Love, C**

Ana is concerned as Christian's message is not very informative. She sends another text:

**Miss you too. Safe trip home. Love, Ana**

She smiles when another text comes in just seconds later.

**Laters, Baby**

Ana sets her phone aside. She picks up the manuscript again, but soon sets it aside when she finds she is unable to concentrate on it. Carrick comes over to her, dragging his blanket, and crawls up in her lap. She spreads the blanket over him as he snuggles up against her and is soon asleep. _"Life is good. The only thing that would improve this would be Christian here as well enjoying family time."_


	34. Chapter 34

Christian is busy studying spreadsheets in his office when Andrea calls to tell him that a Dr. Brown from OHSU hospital in Portland is asking to speak to him. Christian tries to resist running his hands through his hair before he takes the call. He is unable to resist as he puts the call on speaker.

"Grey. How may I be of assistance to you Dr. Brown?" he questions. "I hope you are calling with good news."

"I believe I am, Mr. Grey." Dr. Brown answers. "Andrew Downing has come out of his coma on his own. He is still very weak and is now sleeping. I have notified Detective Simons and he will be here in about an hour. You had asked to also be notified when there was a change in Andrew's condition."

"Yes, thank you very much, Dr. Brown." Christian says. "I will leave here as soon as I can get away. I trust I will be permitted to use the hospital's helipad once again? Using my helicopter would be the quickest way I could get there."

"It is highly unusual, Mr. Grey. But as you were permitted to do so the other night, I'm sure you will be permitted use of the pad once again. I will notify hospital security."

"Thank you. I will see you as soon as possible." Christian says before disconnecting. He quickly places a call to Jason to tell him the plans and to arrange for Owens to file a flight plan for Charlie Tango that would pick him and Taylor up at GEH to head to OHSU. His next call is to Ana.

"I love you Christian." Ana says as soon as she answers her phone, knowing it was Christian because of the ring tone. Christian smiles at the sound of his beloved Ana.

"I love you too, Anastasia." Christian responds with a smile. "But that's not why I'm calling. I was just contacted by Dr. Brown from OHSU Hospital to inform me that Andrew has come out of his coma. He's still in ICU, but Dr. Brown is allowing me to see him. Jason and I are leaving shortly to fly there in Charlie Tango. I'm not sure what time tonight we'll be back, but definitely not in time for dinner. You'll need to do dinner with the kids without me. And Luke will need to drive you home this evening."

"I'm glad to hear that Andrew is out of the coma. Do what you need to do, Christian. I'd like to go with you for support, but I agree I should stay to be with the children. We'll miss you. Keep me updated."

"I'll miss you all too. Laters, Baby." Christian says before disconnecting the call. He calls Andrea to inform her that he will soon be leaving the office for the balance of the day and she will need to reschedule any meetings if Ros is unavailable to fill in for him.

An hour later, Christian, Jason and Owens are in Charlie Tango enroute to Portland. Christian is flying the helicopter, but has Owens stay on board for the trip to be available to serve as pilot on the return trip as Christian is unsure what his state of mind would be after seeing Andrew and talking to Detective Simons. As it turns out, Owens needs to be on stand-by to relocate Charlie Tango in case a medical helicopter needs the pad to land with an emergency.

As Christian and Jason walk into ICU, Dr. Brown spots them and walks over to greet them. "Mr. Grey. You got here quickly. Andrew was awake again briefly, but is back asleep. His vitals are relatively good."

"Thank you for contacting me. Dr. Brown, this is Jason Taylor, my personal security. Jason, this is Dr. Brown." Christian says. "Has Detective Simons been able to speak to Andrew yet?"

"No. Andrew had fallen back to sleep just before the detective arrived. He is in the waiting room, if you would like to join him."

"Would it be possible to see Andrew first?" Christian asks.

"Yes. Please follow me." Dr. Brown leads the two men into the room housing Andrew Downing. Although Christian had seen Andrew the night he had been admitted to the hospital, he still closes his eyes briefly at the sight in front of him. Jason tries to muffle his gasp as this was the first time he had seen the teenage boy since the day in the alley behind Elena's salon. The teenage male body lying in the hospital was covered in bruises, welts and rope burns.

"Are any bones broken, or is all the damage what we can see?" Christian asks in a strangled voice.

"His left shoulder was dislocated, but nothing broken." Dr. Brown answers.

"When will it be possible for him to be released?" Christian asks.

"It's impossible to give a definite date or time frame at this point." Dr. Brown answers. "Until he can stay awake for a somewhat normal period of time, it is best that he stay in hospital in case he falls back into a coma. I'll leave you two here for a few minutes. The waiting room is three doors down on the right." She leaves Christian and Jason at Andrew's bedside.

"Fuck, he was beaten bad." Jason exclaims. "Don't sugar coat it, Christian. Is this normal for a BDSM relationship?"

Christian sighs and runs his hand over his face. He looks up at the ceiling before turning towards Jason, but closes his eyes before he answers. "For a regular BDSM relationship, no, but for a S/M relationship with Elena Lincoln, yes."

"You mean you…." Jason starts to ask, but finds he is unable to complete the question.

"Yes." Christian says in a barely audible voice. "Not when I was fifteen. I mean how would I be able to explain the bruises and other markings to my parents? It was difficult enough hiding the handcuff marks and anything on my back." Christian sits down in the chair beside the bed. He leans forward, supporting his elbows on his legs and puts his head in his hands. A few minutes later he raises his head and runs his hands through his copper locks. "The first time Elena visited me after I had started at Harvard. We met in New York City for the weekend. I hadn't seen her for a couple of months, so I was horny as hell and willing to do anything she told me to do, and I mean anything, to be able to fuck her as my reward. Friday night in the hotel, we had sex for hours but the most extreme we were able to do, was tying and handcuffing me to the bed. Elena had tried to use her favorite cat of nine tails that she had brought with her, but there wasn't enough space in the hotel room to use it. On Saturday, she took me to a club…" at Jason's raised eyebrow, Christian nods "Yes, the same club that Lorenzo gave me a guest pass to five years ago. At the club, she went full out – strapping me to the cross, suspension, whips, canes. It was as if she was possessed. At the time I told myself she was as horny as I was as I believed we were in an exclusive relationship. But in hindsight she probably felt she didn't need to hold back as I wasn't returning to my parents' home that evening." Christian closes his eyes briefly before opening them and looks at Andrew before continuing. "By the time Elena was done with me at the club, I had marks all over my body. The club arranged for me to be taken back to the hotel and a doctor to attend to me. I wasn't able to return to Harvard for a week."

"Why the fuck did you continue to see Elena?" Jason asks, stunned at the revelations he had just heard.

"She had me so brain washed, leading me around by my dick and had me believe that I wasn't worthy of love, only punishment which leads to pleasure." Christian answers. "She had returned to Seattle before I was able to leave New York, but I couldn't wait to see her again when I returned to Seattle for Thanksgiving."

"She left you in New York? To fend for yourself when you were in a condition like this?" Jason questions, motioning to Andrew laying in the hospital bed.

"Yes." Christian answers. "If I remember, she had to get back home to not make Linc suspicious." Christian stands up to pace the room, frantically running his hands through his hair. "She is an animal! She has to be stopped before she does this again. I will do whatever it takes to bring that bitch down!"

"Given the problems with _The Nooz_ the past few days, are you prepared for the publicity this will bring?" Jason asks.

"Yes. Any negative publicity stemming from my past becoming public is minimal in comparison to my conscious if Elena has an opportunity to do something like this again." Christian says.

"What about Ana?" Jason asks quietly.

Christian sighs heavily, still running his hands through his hair. "Obviously Ana knows about my relationship with Elena. But yes, I will need to tell her about that New York weekend. The sooner, the better." Christian looks at Andrew and shakes his head as if to rid his memory of what he went through at the hands of the same woman responsible for Andrew's injuries. "Let's go see Simons."

Christian and Jason walk into the waiting room and Christian introduces the two men. Christian asks about the investigation and the case against Elena.

"Until I can question Mr. Downing, we don't have much to go on. As you probably know, Elena Lincoln was arrested, but made bail. At this point in time, the DA isn't sure if he has sufficient evidence to take to trial." Simons informs Christian and Jason.

"I am prepared to testify to show that Andrew isn't the only minor she has abused. I am willing to reveal that Elena seduced me when I was fifteen and the sexual relationship continued for six years until her husband found out. I am also prepared to testify that the sexual relationship was BDSM and she frequently beat the shit out of me. And one weekend, at a club in New York City, she beat me so severely that the club had to provide medical care to me and was unable to travel back to college for a week. My body was almost as badly beaten at Andrew's, except for the dislocated shoulder and coma."

"Thank you, Mr. Grey. I'm sure this has been a very difficult decision for you to make." Simons says. "Cases like this are always very difficult as many victims are reluctant to come forward. I will pass this information along to the District Attorney."

A nurse comes to the door. "Excuse gentlemen. I've been asked to inform you that Mr. Downing is awake." The men agree that the detective should be the one to talk to Andrew first.

Thirty minutes later, Simons returns to the waiting room to inform Christian that he has finished and is leaving, promising to be in touch. Christian and Jason head to Andrew's room.

"Hello Andrew. I'm Christian Grey. Do you remember me?" Christian asks as he stands at Andrew's bedside.

"Yes, I do. You were at Elena's and talked to me in the back alley. You gave me your business card. I've been told that the card was found in my wallet and you were contacted when I was admitted to the hospital."

"I'm glad you've come out of your coma." Christian informs Andrew. "I want you to know that I've already arranged with the hospital to pay your medical expenses and to ensure that you get the best care possible. Rest assured that whatever you need, you'll get."

"That's very generous of your Mr. Grey." Andrew says. "But you don't need to do that for a complete stranger. It will be a lot of money."

Christian smiles. "That's okay, Andrew. I have more than enough money to pay your bill." Christian sits down in the bed at Andrew's bedside. "I know Detective Simons has talked to you for quite awhile. Do you have enough energy to talk to me as well?"

"I'll try. But don't be upset if I fall asleep on you." Andrew answers. "What do you want to talk to me about?"

"Your parents." Christian says. He briefly closes his eyes before opening them and looking at Andrew. "I believe there is a strong possibility that I am your biological father. I had a sexual relationship with your mother and the timelines correspond with your birth."

"No. My father was Jeremy Downing. They always told me that they married not long after they met and I was born within their first year of marriage. I was born premature, spending the first few months of my life in an incubator." Andrew says.

"I've learned during the life, that you can't always believe what you are told." Christian says wistfully. "I have requested a paternity test to try to verify whether I am your biological father." Christian looks Andrew in his eyes – grey eyes staring at grey. "Grey eyes are not that common and we both have grey eyes."

"My father, Jeremy Downing, had grey eyes as well. People always said that I inherited my hair from my mother and eyes from my father. I don't remember much of my father, but Mom said she fell in love with his grey eyes the first time she met him."

"Well, we'll let the tests give us the answer." Christian tells him. "Can you tell me about your relationship with Elena?"

"What do you want to know?" Andrew asks hesitantly.

"How did you meet. How long have you been having a sexual relationship with her, to start." Christian says.

"My mother was a bookkeeper and Elena was one of her clients. And Mom had been a customer of Elena's for a number of years. When Mom became really sick with cancer the past few years, Elena was very supportive. When Mom died earlier this year, Elena stepped forward to be my guardian rather than me having to go to a home."

"So your sexual relationship with Elena didn't start until after your mother had died and you started living with Elena?" Christian asked.

"Yes. I was still trying to come to terms with Mom's death. She had suffered so much the past couple of years. As her agony worsened the past couple of years, the angrier I got at the world. I would lash out at people at school and would drink myself to sleep at night. After Mom's funeral, Elena stepped forward to be my guardian. She made it clear to me that she wouldn't abide by my fighting and drinking. She told me she understood the turmoil I was going through which would be compounded by my teenage hormones. She told me that she would reward me with sex if I behaved, but I would be punished if I misbehaved."

"That FUCKING bitch!" Christian shouted. At Andrew's look of amazement at the outburst, Christian explained. "Your story is very reminiscent of mine. At the age of fifteen, I was still living with my parents but I was constantly getting in fights at school and secretly drinking. Elena was a friend of my mother's and Elena hired me to do yard work. She soon offered me sex as a reward to stop fighting and drinking as well as improving my grades at school."

"That seems to have done you well, Mr. Grey." Andrew says.

"That may be. I'll never know if I would have accomplished what I did without her influence. Unfortunately, I allowed her to control many factors of my life long after our sexual relationship ended. It wasn't until I became a father myself that I realized that she was a manipulative paedophile. And I will do everything in my power to ensure she doesn't continue with you."

"She hasn't done anything to me that I didn't warrant or welcome." Andrew tries to assure Christian.

"You asked to be beaten to the point that you collapse?" Christian asks.

"Well no. When we got home that night, I asked her who the man was that had visited the salon. She said you were the best fuck she'd ever had after she had molded you and she hoped that I with sufficient training, I would surpass you. That night, when we started a scene, she just kept getting more intense and uncontrollable." Andrew says

"Did you safe word?" Christian asks softly, his voice strangled and barely able to get the words out.

"Yes." Andrew answers softly. "But she wouldn't stop. If anything, it spurred her on and she started yelling 'Christian never safe worded, I'll make you even better'."

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Christian exclaims. "I did safe word, once. And Elena continued to beat me to the point that I required medical attention." Christian took Andrew by the hand and looked him in the eye. "That woman needs to be stopped. The abuse you've suffered is not an isolated incident. It is proof that she will continue violating minors and physically assaulting them. Are you willing to testify against her? I will be by your side to support you. I am willing to reveal my secret past with Elena"

"You're willing to let the whole world know the type of relationship you had with Elena?" Andrew asked.

"Yes." Christian says. "I know Detective Simons has talked to you to get details of your assault. I don't know just how much you told him. But I encourage you to not hold any details back, tell him everything. I have assured him that I am prepared to testify of my past relationship with Elena. Not that she can be charged with crimes involving me due to statute of limitations, but to show a pattern." Christian squeezes Andrew's hand. "Think about it. And I hope you come to the right decision." Christian sees that Andrew is fighting sleep. "You're understandably tired. I'll leave you now to return to Seattle. I hope you do the best thing."

Christian turns to Jason, who has been standing by the door. "Time to go, Jason. Please let Owens know that we'll be ready to leave in a few minutes. I just need to speak to Dr. Brown."

"Yes, Christian." Jason says.

"Bye for now, Andrew." Christian says as he leaves the bedside. "I'll be back in a few days."

"Bye Mr. Grey." Andrew says. "I will think about what you have told me."

Christian and Jason leave Andrew's room. Jason steps aside to contact Owens, while Christian speaks to Dr. Brown who assures him that she will contact him with updates. The two men leave ICU, heading to the elevator. Christian's phone beeps to indicate an incoming text. Christian smiles as he sees the next is from Ana.

**How are things going? Hope no news is good news. Love, Ana**

Christian quickly types his response:

**Will talk when I get home. Leaving shortly. Miss u. Love, C**

Christian smiles when he reads Ana's response:

**Miss you too. Safe trip home. Love, Ana**

Christian sends back:

**Laters, Baby**

"Let's get home, Jason." Christian says to his long-time friend and confidant.


	35. Chapter 35

Christian and Jason exit Charlie Tango when it lands on the helipad at Grey Manor and head to the main house. Gail greets them at the back door and greets Jason with a quick kiss.

"Welcome home." She greets them. "Ana fell asleep in the media room about a half hour ago. The children are all asleep in there too." She laughed when she saw Christian roll his eyes. "I heard the helicopter, so I thought I would meet you. Did you have time to have dinner?" Both men shake their heads. "Good. There are pizzas still to be cooked. Christian, sweet little Christiana made one up for you. She was so concerned that her Daddy would go hungry otherwise. She is such a Little Daddy's Girl. Jason, I have one ready for you."

"Thank you Gail." Both men say at the same time. Christian sees the pizza earmarked for him and grimaces at the fixings placed on it by his daughter. Both Jason and Gail laugh at the expression on his face.

"How am I supposed to eat all that?" Christian asks. The pizzas is stacked at least a half inch high with a variety of meat and vegetables and covered by a mound of grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese. "Where the fuck was Ana when Christiana was compiling this monstrosity?"

"She was here." Gail assures him. She laughs as she continues "Ana tried to supervise her and remove some of the toppings, but Christiana started throwing a tantrum and insisted that her Daddy was a big eater and needed lots of toppings."

Christian sighs "Well, I guess I'll have to try to eat it then. Do I have time for a quick shower while the pizza cooks?"

"Yes you do." Gail assures him.

When Christian returns, Jason has a drink waiting for him, with the decanter sitting on the counter. "Thanks Jason. You know me so well." Christian picks up the glass, tosses the drink back and pours himself another one. Gail's eyes widen. She looks at Jason who shakes his head.

"I'm just about to take the pizzas out of the oven. Have a seat at the breakfast bar." Gail says. She already has placemats and cutlery in place.

Gail sets the pizzas in front of the men. Christian looks at his pizzas and picks at it with his fork. "If you want to toss some of the toppings, we won't tell." Gail says with a laugh.

"No. My daughter created this for me, so I have to eat it. I'm sure she will ask me tomorrow about it and I don't want to lie to her. And I don't like wasting food." Christian says as he starts cutting into the pizza. He hesitantly lifts a forkful up to his mouth and eyeballs it closely before putting it into his mouth. "Hmmm...that's good!" Christian exclaims. He quickly cuts off another piece and before too long, his plate is empty. "Fuck! I didn't realize how hungry I was."

"I didn't either." Jason says as he pushes his empty plate back. "Thanks Gail. That was great." He stands up and takes Gail into his arms to kiss her soundly. He turns back to Christian and says "Well, Boss. It's been a long, stressful day. If you don't mind, I'm heading home now to spend some time with my wife."

"I don't blame you, Jason. I'm about to do the same. I don't think we'll bother with a run in the morning. I'll see you at the usual work departure time. Good night." Christian says. "Thank you, Gail for spending time this evening with Ana. I'm sure it helped distract her from her thoughts on what was happening in Portland."

As the Taylors leave to go to their home, Christian heads to the media room. He stands in the doorway with a smile on his face. A movie is still playing on the projection screen, but no one is watching. Everyone is asleep. Ana in on one of the recliner loveseats with Carrick curled up under a blanket on her lap. Teddy and Phoebe are both asleep on individual recliners, covered by blankets, and Christiana, Jason and Lucas are laying with pillows and blankets on the floor.

Christian walks over and picks Carrick up off Ana's lap and lays him on another recliner. Christian returns and sits on the recliner beside Ana, putting his arm behind her. He smiles as Ana instinctively snuggles closer to him. He pulls her over onto his lap and she snuggles even closer to him. Christian smiles as he buries his nose in her hair and inhales her scent. He brushes Ana's hair aside to caress her neck. Ana whimpers and shifts her position. Christian feels himself hardening with Ana's movements. He smirks and brushes light kisses along her exposed neck. With each kiss, Ana whimpers in her sleep. Christian lightly nips her earlobe with his teeth and is rewarded with a moan. He runs his tongue along the rim of her earlobe and along her jawline before outlining her lips. Christian runs a finger over her arm and along the neckline of her t-shirt. As he continues to brush his lips along Ana's neck, his hand cups her breast and his thumb teases her nipple. He is rewarded with another moan from Ana.

"Hmmm...that feels good. But we have to be careful, my husband should soon be home." Ana whispers as her hand caresses Christian's chest.

"Oh really?" Christian whispers into her ear. "I better leave then. I wouldn't want to be caught by him. I hear he is a very jealous man and possessive of his wife."

"Don't you go anywhere, Grey!" Ana exclaims as she puts her hand behind Christian's head to pull his mouth down to hers. She runs her tongue over his lips and slips it into his mouth when he parts his lips. They kiss passionately. When their mouths separate, they are both breathless. "Welcome home, Christian." Ana whispers. "Have you had dinner?"

"Yes, Gail cooked pizzas for Jason and myself." Christian groaned. "What were you thinking, letting Christiana make that concoction of a pizza?" he asks with a smile.

"You were able to eat that mess of meat, vegetables and cheese?" Ana asks. She giggles and adds "I tried to get her remove some of it, but she went all 'Christian' on me, assuring me that Daddy would be hungry when he got home and he would eat it all."

"Well, I did manage to eat it all. Gail offered to hide some of the toppings in the garbage, but I told her that Christiana would ask in the morning and I wouldn't be able to lie to her." Christian says. He grins at Ana before adding "It was surprising good, but very filling."

Ana yawns. "Take me to bed, Christian." She looks around the room and their children sleeping contently. "Should we leave them here, or should we risk disturbing them and carrying them upstairs to their beds?"

"They've done camp outs before. Let's leave them be for tonight." Christian says as he stands up with Ana in his arms. "But I'll carry you up to bed, Mrs. Grey." Ana smiles as she snuggles into her husband's chest.

In their bedroom, Christian sets Ana onto her feet as he pulls back the duvet cover of their bed. Ana unzips her jeans and pulls them off, setting them on a nearby chair. She crawls into bed, pulling the duvet up. Christian strips down to his boxer briefs and crawls into bed, pulling Ana into his arms. He nuzzles her neck and she whimpers.

Ana turns in his arms to face him. She reaches an arm up to push the lock of hair off of his forehead. "Do you want to talk about how things went at the hospital?" she asks.

"I don't really want to talk about it, but I need to." Christian responds. "But it's not something that I can do if you're not alert, Anastasia."

Ana pulls out of his arms and sits up, supporting her back against the headboard. "Okay. I'm awake."

Christian sits up, leaning against the headboard as well. He runs his hands through his hair. "When we got there, Andrew was sleeping and Detective Simons was waiting to speak to him. Simons told me that the DA isn't confident that they have enough evidence unless Andrew testifies." Christian sighs and continues "I have asssured Simons that I am prepared to reveal my past history with Elena if necessary." He smiles as Ana caresses his face.

Christian takes hold of Ana's hand and pulls her onto his lap, facing him. He puts his hands on each side of Ana's face and stares into her eyes. "And I mean _all_ of my past history." And Ana's questioning look, Christian sighs and briefly closes his eyes before opening them again and looking at his wife with a sorrowful look in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Christian?" Ana asks tentatively, unsure of what she's about to hear and not sure if she wants to hear it. "What haven't you told me? Or have you lied to me about something in your relationship with that Bitch Troll."

Christian takes a deep breath. "I haven't lied to you, Anastasia. But I have neglected to tell you some of the gory details. I've always tried to suppress it in my own mind, but seeing Andrew lying in that hospital bed, covered in bruises and welts, brought it all back to me in vivid detail."

Ana caresses Christian's face and he leans his cheek into her hand. "Please, Christian. Tell me."

Christian closes his eyes as he remembers. "Several weeks after I had left Seattle for Harvard, Elena decided to go to New York City for the weekend and she had me join her. As you can imagine, I was horny as hell and couldn't wait, willing to do whatever she said so that I could fuck her. We played and fucked for hours on the Friday night, but found the size of the hotel room limited what we could do. Elena wasn't able to use her prized cat of nine tails, she was only able to tie and handcuff me to the bed. So on Saturday, she took me to a club she knew of in New York. She let all her frustrations out at the club, you name it and we did it - tying me to the cross, suspension, whips, canes. It was as if she was possessed. At the time I told myself she was as horny as I was as I believed we were in an exclusive relationship. But in hindsight she probably felt she didn't need to hold back as I wasn't returning to my parents' home that evening. By the time Elena was done with me at the club, I had marks all over my body and in need of medical attention. The club arranged for me to be taken back to the hotel and a doctor to attend to me. I wasn't able to return to Harvard for a week, but Elena returned to Seattle on the Sunday." Christian opens his eyes to look at Ana. He raises a finger to wipe the tears from her eyes. He leans forward to kiss each eyelid. "For years now, I have been able to push that memory to the back of my mind. But seeing Andrew lying in that hospital bed, brought those memories back to me."

"Oh Christian!" Ana wails. "I understand why you have tried to put those memories to the back of your mind. That bitch is sick! Of course you have to do whatever it takes to finally bring her to justice." Ana looks Christian in the eye and questions "If she did that much damage to you that weekend, why in hell did you let her near you again?"

Christian shrugs. "Don't forget. I'm fifty shades of fuckedup. My wounds had healed by the next time I saw Elena. She had me so brain washed, leading me around by my dick and had me believing that I wasn't worthy of love, only punishment which leads to pleasure. I couldn't wait to see her again when I returned to Seattle for Thanksgiving."

Christian looks deeply into Ana's eyes and sees the pain she is feeling for him. "Anastasia, please don't fault me to not having told you about this before. I know we've promised no secrets. But I have never wanted you to have to experience the pain of knowing what I willing suffered at the hands of that woman."

"Oh Fifty." Ana exclaims as she leans forward to kiss him. "My Fifty." She adds she wraps her arms around him, holding him close. "Have you got the results from the paternity test yet?"

"No. I'm also having Welch do an intensive search into the lives of Jeremy Downing and Amber Timmons." Christian tells her. "I told Andrew that there is the strong possibility that I am his biological father. He was quite adamant that Jeremy Downing is his father and he inherited his grey eyes from that man. Andrew also claims that his parents married not long after they met and he was born premature."

Ana tries to fight back a yawn. Christian laughs. He sets her off his lap. "Ana, crawl back under the covers and go to sleep."

Ana gets under the covers and runs her hand along Christian's arm. "Get under the covers too, Christian. You need your sleep too." Christian lies down and draws her into his arms. He smiles as she snuggles closer to him.

Ana is soon asleep, but Christian doesn't fall asleep for quite some time. When he wakes in the morning, he is surprised that he didn't have any nightmares. It may have taken him some time to fall asleep, but once he did get to sleep, he slept for the balance of the night.

Christian lays in bed watching Ana sleep. "_She is beautiful – inside and out. What did I do to deserve such a woman? She not only accepts my fifty shades of fuckedupness, but she seems to embrace them, trying to ease the pain for me._ _Nothing I reveal seems to rattle her."_

Ana slowly opens her eyes and her blue eyes stare into Christian's grey eyes. "Stop staring at me." Ana reprimands Christian. At his raised eyebrows, she says "I could sense you watching me."

Christian smiles and reaches a hand out to run a finger around her eyes, over her nose and around her lips. "I love watching you sleep. I've always enjoyed it – from the first night you spent in my bed at the Heathman. You are beautiful." He leans over to kiss her on the tip of her nose. As he pulls back, he flashes his mega-watt smile. "Besides, you talk in her sleep."

Ana groans. "What was I saying?"

Christian laughs. "Oh that would be telling, Mrs. Grey. How can I have any hold over you if I can't leave you guessing?"

Ana flashes her seductive smile. "Mr. Grey. You've had a hold over me from the second I tripped entering your office all those years ago." She rubs her body against Christian's. "Now hold me tight while you make love to me." She orders.

"Yes ma'am." Christian says as he pushes her onto her back, covering her with his body. "You top so well, Anastasia." He says with a laugh.

After making sweet love in bed, Ana tries to snuggle back under the duvet. As Christian climbs out of bed, he pulled back the duvet to the foot of the bed and squatted Ana on her ass. "Time to get ready for work." Ana grabs a pillow and throws it at Christian. Christian heads to the shower, laughing all the way.

As he expected, Ana soon joins him in the shower and starts washing his body. "Of fuck Ana!" he shouts when she goes down on her knees and takes the entire length of his cock in her mouth. He grips her head and moves his cock in and out of her mouth. She swirls her tongue around his cock and massages his balls with her hands. As Christian explodes in her mouth, she swallows and continues sucking. "You are incredible, Anastasia." He says as she stands back up and he pulls her close. She smiles salaciously when she feels his cock start to harden again as she rubs her body against him. Christian turns her around and pushes her against the shower stall wall. He runs his hands down her body before sliding them between her legs. He inserts a finger into her vagina and pumps. "Always so ready!" he whispers in her ear. He kisses the skin just below the ear as he inserts a second finger.

Christian continues thrusting his fingers in and out of Ana's vagina. "Oh! Fuck me, Christian. Fuck me hard!" Ana shouts. Christian pulls his fingers out and replaces them with his cock. "Oh yes! Faster!" Ana shouts. After a couple more thrusts, Ana starts screaming with her orgasm. Christian slows down his thrusts until her screams subside and then he picks up the speed once again until he climaxes, sending Ana over the edge again.

When Christian and Ana walk downstairs, hand in hand, they find all of the children up and at the breakfast table. As soon as Christiana sees her father, she jumps off her chair and runs to him. "Daddy! Mrs. Taylor told me you ate the pizza I made you. Did you like it?"

Christian lets go of Ana's hand to pick Christiana up in his arms. "Yes, I did Sweetheart. It was delicious." Christiana beams a smile at her father. Ana quickly moves away with her hand covering her mouth to muffle the laughter as she heads to the kitchen.


	36. Chapter 36

By mid-morning, Ana has returned phone calls from the day before when she had left the office early, as well as dealing with, or updated on, issues that had arisen during her absence. She wanted to deal with outstanding things to free her up to resume reading the manuscript that had consume her yesterday before Christian's phone call to say that he was going to Portland. Although she had taken the manuscript home with her, she found there were too many distractions with the children, as well as her own thoughts, that she had been unable to concentrate.

Ana makes herself a cup of tea and settles down on the couch in her office. After an hour, she sets the papers aside to stand up and stretch. She takes her tea cup to the bathroom sink to discard the tea. She had been so absorb in the book, that she had never stopped to sip any of her tea and it had turned cold.

Ana sits down at her desk and picks up the file that was associated with the manuscript. When she reads an unsolicited manuscript, she ignores the covering letter so as not to be influenced one way or the other about the manuscript. If she likes what she is reading, as the case with this manuscript, she will read the other documents associated with the manuscript so that she can determine how best to contact the author.

As Ana reads the covering letter, her blue eyes widen. _"Are you fucking kidding me?" _she says to herself. _"This must be a joke." _She walks back to the couch to pick up the manuscript and returns to her desk. She starts to re-read the first pages of the manuscript as well as the covering letter.

Ana is reaching for her phone when her office door opens and Christian walks in. "Hello Anastasia." Christian says. "I didn't knock as Hannah said you were alone, reading manuscripts." He flashes his mega-watt smile. "I didn't think you would mind the interruption."

She jumps up and throws herself into his arms, giving him a passionate kiss. "Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing here?" she asks. She pulls back to look at him. "I was just about to call you."

Christian leads her over to the couch and sits down, pulling her down beside him. He turns to look at her. "Welch sent me his report on Jeremy Downing and Amber Timmons this morning. It is quite interesting. I've also been notified of the results for the paternity test." Christian cups Ana's face to look her straight in the eye: grey eyes staring at blue. "Andrew Downing is " Christian is interrupted by Ana putting her finger over his mouth. Ana's other hand reach up to stroke Christian's hair and smiles wistfully. "I know." She leans forward to brush her lips lightly against his.

Christian pulls back, gasps and sputters "You know? But how? I got the results and came straight over here."

Ana stands up and walks over to her desk to pick up the manuscript and its covering letter. She returns to the couch and hands them to Christian. "This is why I was just about to call you. Read the summary and then the covering letter."

SUMMARY

_FROM SUBMISSION TO INDEPENDENCE_

_Sheila has been living the life of a submissive in a series of BDSM relationships. Her latest Dominant abruptly ends their relationship when she tells him that she wants 'more'. She is devastated as she had fallen in love with him and wants to exchange her submissive collar for a wedding band. _

_The Dominant is a generous man and pays her an exorbitant amount of money for ending the contact. Sheila sets up a meeting with a financial advisor for advice on how to invest the money so that the interest generated would supplement her income. It is love at first sight for Sheila and Oliver, the advisor, but both try to resist the attraction because of past failed relationships. Sheila is attracted to Oliver as his green eyes remind her of the Dominant whom she envisioned herself in love with. And Oliver is attracted to Sheila as she reminds him of his late wife._

_This story follows Oliver and Sheila's exploration of their attraction for one another and how they overcome their past lives to find true love. Or do they?_

Christian looks up questioningly to Ana. "Is this what I think it is?" he questions.

Ana nods. "Read the covering letter." Ana instructs.

Christian sets down the manuscript and reads the covering letter. It is from a Benjamin Stone of Stone & Fisher Law Offices in Portland Oregon.

_Dear Mrs. Grey,_

_Please find enclosed a manuscript written by my deceased client Amber Timmons Downing. While she was fighting a battle with cancer the past few years, she started writing. This manuscript is the end result._

_Mrs. Downing left it with me with instructions that I was to send it to your attention at Grey Publishing, but only after her death. She was adamant that it was to be offered only to Grey Publishing and no other publishing house._

_Mrs. Downing also stated that any payment that would normally be given to the author would go to her only child, Andrew Downing, to be held in trust until he was of legal age._

_I look forward to hearing from you._

_Sincerely,_

_Benjamin Stone_

_Stone & Fisher Law Offices_

"Have you read the manuscript?" Christian asks Ana. She nods. "Is it any good?"

"The story is spell bounding. I was reading it when you phoned yesterday and the ring tone didn't register for a minute or two. And again this morning. I sat down with a cup of tea to resume reading it and I completely forgot about my tea."

"Wow!" Christian exclaimed. "I don't think I've ever seen that absorbed with a manuscript before."

"I know. I haven't finished it yet, but what I have read, I definitely want to publish it. I don't think it will need much editing." Ana tells him.

"How damning is it?" Christian asks in a wary voice.

"To you?" Ana asks. Christian nods. "Sorry to break the news to you, Sir, but you are barely in the story. It opens when the Submissive, Sheila, tells her Dom that she loves him and wants 'more'. The Dom withdraws even more that his usual self and ends the contract. He leaves it for his staff to pack up her belongs which he had given her and deposit money into her bank account. She doesn't have any further contact with him."

"So anyone reading the story would not associate me as the Dom?" Christian asks.

"Nope." Ana says. "You're safe." She smiles.

"Does the story cover the birth of the baby?" Christian asks.

"I was just getting into that part in the manuscript when you arrived." Ana says. At Christian's raised eyebrow, she smiles and continues. "In the story, Sheila and Oliver start their sexual relationship almost immediately, marrying only two weeks after they had met. Two months after they married, she discovers she is pregnant. Oliver is definitely the father. The baby was born pre-mature and almost didn't survive."

"How true to real life do you think the book is?" Christian asks.

"I don't know." Ana responds. "Does it matter? It is being pitched as fiction, not an autobiography."

"I just wondered, that's all." Christian says with a shrug.

"No, you want to know what your ex-sub, who claimed to be in love with you, thought of you." Ana laughs. "And whether she portrays you in a bad light." Ana smirks. "Well, you'll just have to read it for yourself."

"I'll do that." Christian tells her. "Might be interesting reading comparing it side by side with Welch's report."

"Oh yes, you said you got the report today." Ana exclaims. "And the test results."

"Yes. According to Welch's report, the book must have stayed fairly true to fact, with minor details changed." Christian tells Ana. Christian pulls Ana onto his lap, turned so that he can look her in the eye – grey eyes staring into blue. "Jeremy Downing was an investment banker and met Amber when she became a client. She obviously wanted to invest the money I gave her as a pay-off and wisely went to an expert. They did marry just a few weeks after meeting and Andrew was born just seven months after their wedding day." At Ana's gasp, Christian reaches out to run his hand through her hair. "Hospital records do confirm that Andrew was born several weeks pre-mature and was in an incubator for the first several weeks of his life. Jeremy died when Andrew was about ten, two years before Amber was diagnosed with breast cancer."

"How did Bitch Troll manage to get her claws into Andrew?" Ana asks.

"After marrying Downing, Amber became a chartered accountant and eventually opened her own business. One of her clients was Elena. As far as Welch can determine, Amber hadn't had contact with Elena until about six years ago when Amber took Elena on a client and Amber became a customer of Elena's salon. But Welch has not yet been able to verify how much a personal or social relationship they had, or if it was just client/customer." Christian explains.

"That still doesn't explain how Bitch Troll managed to get her claws into Andrew." Ana insists. "When Amber died a few months ago, wouldn't Social Services have taken Andrew into foster care?"

Christian nods. "Yes, they should have. But they are understaffed and overworked. So when someone claiming to be a family friend, who happens to be a local business woman, steps forward offering to take care of a fifteen year old male, they quickly agreed to the arrangement."

Christian sets Ana off his lap and stands to start pacing the room, running his hands through his hair. "Fuck! Fuck! Why couldn't Amber have contacted me? I would have ensured that Andrew was taken care of after she died." Christian turned and looked at Ana. "Why the fuck didn't the lawyer send you the manuscript sooner?"

Ana stands up to draw Christian into her embrace. She runs her hands over his back. "I don't know Baby. Normally, unsolicited manuscripts are put into a pool and distributed among the junior editors at a weekly staff meeting. After they do a preliminary read through, they pass along promising ones to the senior editors and then to me for final approval. In other words, manuscripts could be here for a while before I see them. But this one was addressed to my attention and it did come directly to me." At Christian's look of concern, Ana quickly says "No, I didn't actually open the package. Protocol would have been followed and it was scanned, probed, dusted, and whatever else security measures Taylor established years ago, before it was given to me."

Ana pulls Christian's mouth down to hers and runs her tongue over his lips and then into his mouth when his lips part. After a deep passionate kiss, they break apart, both breathless. Ana runs her hands through Christian's copper hair. "As for why Amber never contacted you: why would she? Yes, she spent the last few years of her life writing what is basically an autobiography of her life AFTER her relationship with you ended. For whatever reason, she wanted only Grey Publishing to have the rights to the book. Maybe because she thought I would have an understanding of the submissive mind set. Maybe as a way to let you know that her life improved post-Christian. Who knows? Maybe she felt that the money you gave her at the end of the contract was sufficient and she didn't want you to think she was trying to extort money from you."

"True. But, fuck, I would have helped her. If she didn't need money, I could have ensured Andrew was taken care of. Surely she would have known that." At Ana's look, he raised his hands. "Okay, okay. As one of my submissives, she would have known that children had been a hard limit for me. But she would have seen in the press that I had eventually embraced fatherhood. She should have realized that I would have done whatever it took to make sure that Andrew was taken of."

Ana pulls Christian back into her arms and buries her head in his chest. "Oh, Christian. Don't beat yourself up over this. For whatever reason, Amber must not have felt comfortable enough in approaching you. You may have been her last Dom, but that doesn't mean that you had any legal or moral obligation to her once your contract ended. She moved on from you and, by all accounts, found true love and had a child with that true love. You have no legal obligation or blood ties to Andrew."

"I know that Ana. But I just feel sick to my stomach that Elena was able to get her claws into another minor. I just hope that Andrew can get over that trauma, unlike me." Christian says wistfully.

"I hope so too, Christian." Ana says. "She's only had a few months of control over him, instead of over a decade. We will stay in contact with him during his recovery, and hopefully during the trial." Ana looks at Christian and says "Have you contacted Social Services about us becoming his foster parents? We're in a different state, but you should have the resources to get around any obstacles like that."

"Oh, Ana! Moments like this is why I love you so much!" Christian exclaims as he pulls her to him for a deep kiss. "I was just about to talk to you about that." At her questioning look, he said "No. I haven't started the legal process yet. We are a team and I wouldn't do something like that before talking to you." He smirks and says "However, I was pretty sure you would be on board with such plans, so an agent with the Oregon Social Services is just waiting for a phone call from me to proceed."

Ana hugs Christian and stares into his eyes. "Christian, are you okay now that you know for sure that you are not Andrew's biological father? You were so sure that you were and upset that Amber had kept the information from you."

"Yes, Ana. I'm fine. I always tried to ensure that birth control was covered with the subs. But when confronted with a child that appeared to have been the result of one of my relationships, I wanted to take ownership of my actions and right the wrong of having not been involved in Andrew's life up until now." Christian steps back from Ana pulls his phone out of his pocket to dial a number. "Grey. Proceed with the legalities. My wife is on board with the plans I discussed with you." Without waiting for a response, Christian disconnects the call.

"Oh, I love my Mr. Control Freak!" Ana says with a laugh before rolling her eyes. "But you are learning. At least you waited for my approval before finalizing things instead of presenting me with a done deal."

"Mrs. Grey. My palms are getting twitchy with that eye rolling." Christian says with a laugh.

"What are you going to do about it, Sir?" Ana questions as she bites her lower lip.

Christian growls as he walks to the office door and locks it. "We had this office sound proofed, didn't we?" he questions as he turns with the intention to stalk Ana, but stops short with the scene in front of him.

"Yes we did, Sir." Ana says as she starts to undress and then kneels in position in just her panties.


	37. Chapter 37

The Grey family have gathered for dinner at Christian and Ana's home for a special dinner on the eve of Christian and Ana renewing their marriage vows. Back in June, during Ana's party for Christian's birthday, he had dropped down on bended knee in front of all the guests to ask Ana to renew their wedding vows. Ten years earlier, during his birthday party, Christian had gone on bended knee with hearts and flowers to propose to Ana, but it had been done in the privacy of one of their many secret places – the boathouse at his parents' home. The original wedding ceremony had taken place on the grounds of the home of Carrick and Grace, but for the renewal of their vows, Christian and Ana decided to have the ceremony at their own home.

"Christian, you want to recreate your wedding ceremony, so Ana is damn well NOT sleeping with you tonight." Kate says to her brother-in-law. "Since the ceremony will be here tomorrow, I will be staying here tonight to be with Ana and you will go home with Elliott."

Everyone at the table is waiting with baited breath to see Christian's reaction to Kate's announcement. They did not have to wait long before Christian went thermonuclear.

"Don't tell me, or Ana, what to do Kate." Christian says as he glares at his sister-in-law. "No one tells me that I cannot sleep with my wife."

"You may be going home with me, bro, but you certainly are not going to sleep with me!" Elliott says, trying to lighten the mood.

Christian turns his glare towards his brother. "FUCK OFF Elliott!" Christian shouts to his brother.

"Daddy! You said a bad word!" Carrick Junior proclaims. The adults snicker at the five year old reprimanding his father.

Christian runs his hands through his hair. "Yes, I did Carrick." He looks around the table at the numerous young children – his own and his nieces and nephews. "I'm sorry children. I do need to be more careful of my language." He smirks as he looks at his brother. "It's just that Auntie Kate and Uncle Lelliott makes me so mad sometimes that I forget."

Christiana climbs down from her chair to walk around the table to her father. With his assistance, she climbs up onto his lap. She pats his cheek with her hand. "It's okay Daddy! Remember that Mommy says that you need to count to ten before you speak. And if you still say Fuck, you have to put fifty dollars into the swear jar." While the adults laugh, Christiana climbs back down from her father's lap and returns to her chair.

Elliott is still laughing when he turns to Ana and asks "How big is this swear jar?"

Ana responds "Just a regular cookie jar." She giggles and adds "But I do need to empty it almost every day." The adults laugh even harder. "Coping Together gets weekly donations courtesy of Christian's potty mouth."

Christian smirks and says "I should just put $500 in the jar each morning."

Elliott is still laughing, but manages to say "That might get you through breakfast. What about the rest of the day?" Everyone laughs even louder. Elliott is not intimidated by Christian's glare "Come on, Bro, you know what you want to tell me."

"Ana, if it costs me fifty dollars for telling Elliott what to do, what will it cost me if I punch him in the nose?" Christian questions with a smile for his wife before turning back to glare at Elliott.

"Truce, Bro!" Elliott says with his hands raised up. "You wouldn't want my handsome face marred with black eyes for the photos tomorrow, now would you?"

Christian gives his brother an evil smile. "Oh I don't know. It might be worth it. And I'm sure Jose could photoshop out the black eyes." Christian taps a finger on his chin and says thoughtfully. "Hmmm, maybe I should ask Jose to photoshop you out completely!"

"Christian!" both Ana and Grace reprimand him.

Christian pouts, knowing the affect that has on Ana. "I'm just saying…"

"That's enough everyone!" Carrick Senior proclaims. "No more fighting you two" he says as he eyes his sons. He stands up and picks up his champagne flute. "Ana, I know I hurt you ten years ago when I insisted that Christian have you sign a pre-nup agreement. Like many other times in Christian's life, he knew better than me when he refused to even consider such a thing. I am forever thankful that you came into my son's life. With your unwavering love, you have managed to make Christian realize that people love him no matter what. And as a result, gave Grace and myself the loving son we always knew was behind Christian's façade." Carrick raises his flute in the air towards his daughter-in-law. "To Ana!" Everyone else raises their glass and toasts Ana as well. As Ana blushes at the words and the attention from everyone at the table, Christian picks up her left hand and kisses her wedding rings.

Teddy stands up. "Mom and Dad." He addresses his parents. They look at each other, questioning each other wondering what Teddy is planning. They shrug to each other and turn to look at their eldest son. Christian draws Ana's chair closer to his and puts his arm around her. They hadn't seen that Phoebe slipped away from the table until she returns to the dining room and hands her brother a loosely wrapped package. Teddy continues "My brothers, sisters and I wanted to give you a gift, but we didn't know what. You both always say that family is the only important thing in life and we need to cherish the time we have together."

"Don't cry Mommy!" Christiana says. Tears are flowing down Ana's face. Christian pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes at the tears. Ana smiles as she sees that Christian's eyes are watery.

Teddy walks over to his parents and hands them the present in his hands. "Mom, Dad. This is from all of us. We all worked on it. Even Jason and Lucas." Christian accepts the parcel from Teddy and hands it to Ana to open it. Ana tears away the paper and both Christian and Ana gasp.

Inside the package is a scrapbook album. In the center insert of the front cover is a copy of the picture taken of the children for the most recent Father's Day. Around the picture, each child has written his or her name. In the case of Jason and Lucas, their handprints were put on the cover and their names written in Phoebe's hand writing. Inside the album are multiple pages for each child showing pictures of each starting with a baby picture, followed by birthday pictures and other events. In between the children's pictures are copies of the family portraits taken by Jose each wedding anniversary.

Christian and Ana look at each other with tears in their eyes. The album is a memory book of their growing family and the love they all share. They both laugh when the get to the back of the album. After the pages of Jason and Lucas is a blank page except for the name 'Lucky' written at the top. Christian rubs his hand over Ana's stomach. Their eyes widen when Ana turns that page and find there are several more blank pages.

At their questioning look, Phoebe says "We wanted to put a page in to have a page ready for Lucky, but then we thought we should put more pages in case you have more children after Lucky." The adults all laugh.

Ana is too choked up to respond. Christian is fighting tears as well, but manages to croak out "Thank you all. As you can tell, your mother and I love the album. We will treasure it forever." He removes his arm from around Ana and stands, opening his arms wide. "Come here kids, I want to give you all a big hug." The children all run to their father and Ana joins her family in a big group hug.

When the group breaks apart, Teddy says "We have also done a digital version, so you will both be able to access it when you're away on business." Teddy clears his throat and continues. "Mom. Dad. On behalf of my brothers and sisters, I want to thank you for everything you have done for us. We know you both have busy jobs which mean long hours and travel, but you have both always been available for us whenever anyone of us has needed you. I like that you want to renew your wedding vows tomorrow and are including us in the ceremony. A lot of our friends are not as fortunate as we are and rarely even see their parents, let alone be included in special occasions." Teddy holds up his wine glass, filled with grape juice, and imitating his grandfather, proposes a toast to his parents. Tears continue to flow down Ana's face and Christian finally gives in and lets his tears flow as well. Looking through her tear filled eyes, Ana sees that all of the adults at the table are wiping at their eyes.

Ana opens her mouth to speak, but finds that her lower lip is quivering and is unable to speak. She bites her lower lip to try to stop the quivering. Christian reaches up to pull her lip from her teeth and leans over to lightly brush his lips against hers. He raises his head and looks around the table at all of his children before settling his eyes on Teddy. Christian stands up and walks over to his eldest son who is still standing. As his father approaches him, Teddy starts to look apprehensive as he is thinks that he has upset his father. When Christian is standing in front of Teddy, he extended his hand for a handshake. Teddy puts his small hand in his father's larger hand and gives his father as firm a handshake as a nine year old boy can do. Teddy relaxes as he sees, not just the smile on his father's lips, but also in his eyes.

"Ted. You are a very mature young man. Your Mother and I are very proud of you. You always take the lead and look after your younger siblings." Christian says to Teddy. Christian reaches into his pocket and pulls out his wallet. He extracts a three fifty dollar bills and sets them on the table. "For the swear jar." He says as he gives Ana a smirk. "Fuck! To Hell with acting mature. I want to give my TeddyBear a big bear hug!" Christian says as he wraps his arms around Teddy to give him a big hug. "I know you're not a little boy anymore, but I'll always remember you as a toddler playing hide and seek in the meadow."

After several minutes, Christian releases Teddy from the bear hug and they both return to their seats. Everyone is still looking at Christian with tears in their eyes. Christian looks around the table, flashing his mega-watt smile. "What? A man isn't allowed to hug his son?"

Christian's smile fades when he sees Grace clutch at Carrick's hand as her eyes fill up with more tears. "Oh fuck! I'm sorry Mom and Dad." He stands and starts to walk towards his parents. "Come here! I got carried away in the moment and didn't think about all the years that I wouldn't allow anyone, even you two, to touch me." As Grace and Carrick approach him, Christian wraps his arms around them both. As the three continue with their group hug, Grace's tears continue to flow as she thinks of all the missed years.

Carrick is the first to pull from the hug and walks over to Ana. He pulls her from her chair to wrap his arms around her. "Ana, thank you once again for giving us the loving son that Christian became after he met you. Grace and I will always be in your debt."

Margaret turns to Kate and questions "Are the Grey family dinners always this emotional?"

Kate responds with a laugh "Only the ones that someone doesn't storm out of."

"Don't worry, Lelliott. Kate doesn't need to know." Christian says to his brother. "I just need to go for a drive to clear my head." Despite Christian's protests, Kate managed to get her way and Elliott dragged Christian home with him and Kate will be spending the night with Ana in an attempt that the 'bride and groom' not see one another prior to the vow renewal ceremony the following day. "Just give me the keys to your fucking car."

"Kate will kill me. I'm under specific orders to keep you here." Elliott smirks at his brother. "To quote Kate: 'Even if I have to handcuff you to the fucking guest bed.'"

Christian looks at his brother. "You know damn well that if anyone handcuffs me to anything, it would only be Ana." Christian gives his brother a smirk. "I didn't know you switched teams!"

"Fuck off!" Elliott replies. "Here are the keys. And it's not a 'fucking' car. Trust me, the Ferrari is too confining for fucking." Elliott smiles as he says "It's a wonder I didn't get a speeding ticket driving Kate back home that evening."

As Christian takes the keys from his brother he laughs. "You need an R8 then, bro. Ana and I have never had a problem." Before Elliott has a chance to respond, Christian is out the door and getting into his brother's car.

As Christian speeds down the road, he knows his destination. He just hopes that Ana can evade her keeper Kate. Christian admits to himself that he has to give Kate credit in her determination to keep him and Ana apart. Even after ten years, he is still thankful that Kate was too sick to interview him that fateful day and coerced Ana in going in her place. He tells himself that he is also thankful that Kate had gone a vacation with her parents shortly after graduation and wasn't in Seattle to protect Ana from his evil advances. He laughs out loud as he realizes that Ana was the one that ensnared him rather than the other way around.

Christian pulls up to the gate of his home and enters his code into the security panel. Once the gates swing open, he drives through. Instead of following the main driveway up to the house, he turns onto the service road and circles around the property. As he is about to pass the back of the Taylors' house, he sees Jason standing in the middle of the road. Christian stops the car and opens the window, waiting for Jason to come over to him. Christian was tempted to floor the car once Jason stepped back off the road, but he appreciated that even at 1:00 am, his Head of Security was still on the job ensuring that the individual who had entered the special security code at the gate was indeed Christian Grey.

"Hi Boss." Taylor says to Christian once he is beside the car. "You must be slipping. Or Elliott isn't as easily intimated by you anymore. It took you longer to get his car keys than thought it would. I expected your arrival an hour ago."

Christian laughed. "Am I that predictable? I just hope Ana hasn't gone to sleep."

Taylor grinned. "She's in the kitchen having a cup of tea with Gail." At Christian's look of surprise and hesitation, Taylor laughed. "Don't worry, Kate went to bed an hour ago when she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer." Taylor smirked. "Now, I'm just speculating, but I thought it strange when Ana asked Gail about sleeping pills."

Christian laughs. "That's my Ana!" he says proudly. "Thanks Jason." Before he takes the car out of park, he pulls out his phone to send a text message.

**Boat house - 2 minutes**

Christian pockets the phone and flashes Taylor his famous mega-watt smile. "Bye Jason. Pass along my thanks to Gail. See you in the morning. It's going to be a great day." Christian closes the window and puts the car into motion to continue on to the boat house.

Christian parks the car and steps out. He looks at the building and smiles. When commissioning Elliott to build the boat house, he had his brother duplicate the boat house on their parents' estate, including the upstairs storage room. The upper room in his parents' boat house held special memories for him and Ana. Over the years, it served as their special retreat for various special events they attended, as well as family get-togethers. But the most special time was ten years ago, during his birthday party, when Christian gave Ana hearts and flowers for the first time and a proper marriage proposal. Christian smiles to himself as he thinks of one change he requested for the boat house at his property. A Murphy bed was built into one of the walls of the upstairs room.

Christian whistles as he walks up to the side door. He is startled when he realizes the door is slightly ajar. "_Fuck! This door should at least be closed, if not locked. I'll need to mention it to Taylor….but not tonight, or tomorrow. There's more important things to focus on."_

Christian opens the door and proceeds on into the boat house. He stops short. There are lit candles on each step leading up the 'storage' room. Looking up the stairs he sees there are more shimmering lights. His heart starts beating faster as he proceeds to the stairs. He admits to himself what he hopes is waiting for him upstairs, but he also acknowledges that there could be danger. Christian reaches into his pocket and wraps his hand around his phone in preparation to press the panic button to signal Taylor. Halfway up the flight of stairs, Christian releases his grip on his phone. His look of apprehension is replaced by his mega-watt, panty melting smile.

"You're late, Mr. Grey!"


	38. Chapter 38

"Sorry Ma'am. I guess you'll just need to punish me." Christian says with a smirk. "I hear you drugged your guard." I was obvious that Ana was on the same wave link as he was and was already at the boat house, waiting for him. The room is lit by numerous candles positioned around the space, but the most spectacular thing in the room was stretched out on the bed – the love of his life, his beautiful wife Anastasia. He feels his cock harden at the sight in front of him. Ana is wearing a lace push up bra and matching thong in a shade of blue that matches her beautiful eyes. Her baby bump is starting to show, but Christian finds that even more enticing than her usual flat stomach. Her legs are encased in lace topped, thigh high stay ups of the sheerest black silk and her five inch high heeled shoes were almost non-existent except for the straps across her toes and wrapped around her ankles. Tied around her neck is his, and her, favorite grey tie.

Ana giggles. "Yes. I know I'll pay for it tomorrow." Looking at her husband, she bites her lip "I just hope you make tonight worthwhile. Sir."

"I'll do my best, Mrs. Grey." Christian growls. He reaches out to pull her lower lip from her teeth. "Fuck Woman! You know what that does to me." He takes Ana's hand and pulls up to her feet.

"Oh most definitely Sir." Ana says breathlessly. She runs her hand over Christian's T-shirt covered chest before brushing his denim covered cock. "Oh my! I really do get to you, don't I?" she whispers. "I do think you are overdressed though."

"Laters, Baby!" Christian grabs Ana's arm and pulls both of her arms behind her while bringing her body up tight to his. "First I do believe someone needs a spanking for escaping her guard." Christian says in his Dom voice before capturing Ana's mouth with his. As he pulls her even tighter to his body, Ana lifts one leg to wrap around Christian's waist. His hand cups her ass and lifts her off her feet so she can wrap the other leg around him.

By the time their mouths separate, grasping for air, Christian is sitting on the side of the bed with Ana in his lap, legs still wrapped around his waist. He grabs her waist and flips her so that she is laying over his lap – her face in the mattress and her ass in the air. "You have the most delectable ass Anastasia." Christian growls as his hand caresses her ass cheeks. "It is even more beautiful when it is nice and rosy."

He raises his hand and soundly slaps her left cheek. "Oww!" Ana yells. She moans as Christian caresses where he had slapped.

"Count for me, Ana." Christian demands as he slaps her right cheek. "I think ten would be a good number – one for each year of our marriage."

"Two, Sir." Ana says and then moans as Christian caresses her right cheek. They continue the routine – Christian spanking her on her ass cheeks and upper thighs and Ana counting each slap while moaning each time, especially when Christian's fingers brush her vagina.

By the time Ana screams "Ten, Sir." She is dripping wet and she can feel Christian's cock rock hard beneath her. Christian bends down and runs kisses over her rosy red cheeks – five kisses on each cheek.

"Fuck Ana! Your ass is so beautiful at the best of time, but right now it is magnificent – a nice rosy red." Christian manages to say, although his voice is very unsteady with his carnal desire. "I want to fuck your mouth!"

Christian lifts Ana up off his lap and helps her steady herself on her feet. He grabs a pillow from the bed and puts it on the floor for Ana to kneel in front of him. Ana smiles at the massive bulge in Christian's jeans right at her eye level. "You're still overdressed Sir!" she says as she reaches up to undo the button and zipper on his jeans.

"Careful, Mrs. Grey! I don't think either one of us want to spend our anniversary in the emergency ward." Christian gasps.

"Definitely not Mr. Grey" Ana manages to say as she licks her lips in anticipation. She bites her lip as she looks up at him through her lashes. "Maybe you should be the one to release the beast."

Christian flashes his sexy, evil grin. He reaches out to pull Ana's lip from her teeth. "Mrs. Grey, you know what that does to me." He removes his grey tie from around Ana's neck and before she knows what his plans are, he has her hands tied behind her back. Her eyes glaze over as Christian unzips his pants and pulls his briefs and jeans down together. He kicks them aside and stands magnificently in front of his wife in all is glory.

Ana licks her lips in anticipation as she leans forward to kiss the tip of her husband's cock. She smiles as it jerks in an attempt to get closer to her mouth. She runs her tongue from the tip down to the base before sucking on each ball. She then runs her tongue back up full length of the cock before kissing the tip once again.

"Fuck Ana, you'll be the death of me!" Christian gasps. He grabs Ana's hair back from her face into a ponytail and pushes his cock all the way into her mouth. He groans as he sees his entire length disappear into her mouth. "Fuck Ana! I still amazes me that you have no gag reflex." Christian exclaims as he pumps his cock in and out of her mouth. Ana looks up at her husband through her lashes – blue eyes locked onto grey. She manages a smile as her lips lock around his cock and her tongue runs along the length. She can taste the beginning of the cum on the head and she starts to suck as hard as she can. "Oh Fuck Baby! I'm going to cum in your mouth if you don't stop that." Christian shouts. Ana's eyes continue to be locked with her husband's as her mouth does not slow down. If anything, she sucks even faster. Christian grips Ana's head as he pumps in and out of his mouth. "Ahhhh…" Christian screams as he finally topples over the edge and Ana's tongue works overtime to clean him up and swallowing his cum.

Christian pulls his cock out of Ana's mouth. He leans down to pull Ana to her feet and pulls Ana's mouth to his to kiss her. As his tongue invades her mouth, he can taste himself. They lock their arms around one another. After several minutes, their mouths separate, but remain in each other's arms and both struggle to bring their breathing back to normal. Ana runs her hands over Christian's back, still covered by his t-shirt, and down over his bare ass. She squeezes each cheek and smiles at her husband as she feels his cock hardening again.

Christian runs his hands over Ana's ass and feels her flinch. "Still sore, Baby?" he asks concerned that he had been too aggressive during their earlier spanking session.

Ana looks her husband in the eye and admits "A bit. But nothing that I can't handle." She smiles seductively at him and giggles "I guess I should have used some of your special suave, instead of swallowing all of it."

Christian continues to massage Ana's ass cheeks. "Well, I did warn you that I was about to cum." He smirks but then his expression changes to one of concern. "I'm sorry, Ana, I didn't think to bring any cream with me. I still want to fuck you in the ass tonight, but don't want to hurt you."

Ana puts her hands on each side of Christian's face and stares into his eyes. "Christian, I know you never want to hurt me. Any pain I experience does give me pleasure. Rest assured that I will safe word if I ever have any concerns that you are too rough. We both learned that lesson ten years ago and neither one of us want to go through the heart break of separation ever again." She pulls Christian's mouth down to hers to lightly brush her lips against his. When his lips part, she quickly slides her tongue into the opening to explore his mouth.

As their breathing goes heavier, Christian's hands explore Ana's body. Running his hands down her back, his fingers make quick work of her bra. He steps back out of Ana's arms briefly to pull the bra down her arms and tosses it aside. He groans at the sight of her bare breasts. He cups them in his hands and runs his thumbs over the nipples before pinching them. He gives Ana his evil grin when he hears her gasp and her breathing quickens. He leans down to take her left breast into his mouth and sucks on the already hardened nipple, making it even harder. Ana's hands run through Christian's copper hair as she pushes more of her breast into his mouth. Christian pulls back, releasing the left breast from his mouth before moving to the right breast and repeating his motions.

Christian runs his hands down Ana's side and over his hips before cupping her sex with one hand. He pushes aside her thong to slide one finger into her vagina. His lips, still on her right breast, form a smile at the wetness he feels. He releases Ana's breast and whispers "Always so ready for me, Mrs. Grey." He eyes glaze over at the sound of Ana whimpering.

He slides a second finger into her vagina and his thumb massages her clitoris. Ana can no longer control her moans. "Oh Fuck, Christian! You're driving me crazy! Please. Please fuck me hard!"

"Your wish is my demand, Dear Wife!" Christian growls as he pulls on her thong, ripping it off and tossing it aside. He turns Ana around away from him and bends her so that her arms are on the bed, palms down and her ass is thrust in the air. Christian wraps his left arm around Ana's waist for support as he runs his right hand over her breast, down her hip before cupping her sex. His fingers part her folds and he inserts two fingers, thrusting them in and out of her sex. Christian pulls his fingers out and rubs Ana's juices over the opening in her ass. He pulls his fingers out and returns them to her vagina. As his fingers resume their thrusting, he rams his cock into Ana's ass and pumps in rhythm with his fingers.

Ana's hands are twisting the bed sheets as she tries to retain her balance. Christian maintains his hold around her waist as his cock and fingers continue their thrusting. Christian can feel the onslaught of Ana's orgasm, but he isn't ready to let her have her release. "Not yet, Baby! Control!" he orders. Christian pulls his fingers out of Ana's vagina and raises his hand to her mouth and runs his wet fingers over her lips. "Suck my fingers Baby! Just like you did my cock."

Ana's lips part and Christian inserts his fingers into her mouth. Her lips close around the fingers and her tongue plays with them. Christian pulls his fingers out and thrusts them back into her mouth, in rhythm with his cock pumping her ass. "Oh yes, Baby! Taste yourself!" Ana's teeth lightly bite the fingers as her lips form a smile around Christian's fingers. "Naughty, naughty!" Christian chides her. "Do you not want me to let you come at all?" Christian pulls his fingers from Ana's mouth and thrusts them back into her vagina and his thumb rubs her clitoris.

"Oh Fuck Christian! It feels so good! I'll be good if you just let me come. I don't know how much more I can take!" Ana moans. "Faster!" she screams as Christian slows his thrusting. Ana can feel Christian's lips form a smile as they caress the nape of her neck. He speeds up the rhythm of his thrusting. "Harder!" Ana shouts. "Fuck me harder Christian!" she screams.

"Your wish is my command, Baby!" Christian says. "Come for me Anastasia! Come!" he shouts as his fingers and thumb continue stroking her vagina and clitoris while his cock pulls out and rams back into her ass.

"Oh! Oh! Oh my God!" Ana screams as she finally succumbs and she feels the beginning of her orgasm overtaking her body. "Christian!" she shouts as her body continues writhing and Christian continues his motion and Ana can feel her body building again.

With a couple of more thrusts, Christian finds his release, taking Ana over the edge once again. Christian pulls his fingers from Ana's vagina and brings them to his mouth. His tongue licks Ana's wetness from them. "I've always loved the taste of you Ana."

Christian rains kisses along Ana's shoulder and up her neck. When he reaches her ear, he whispers "I love you Anastasia. Forever and ever." Christian pulls out of Ana and turns her around to gaze into her eyes – grey into blue. "I do love you, and only you. I have from the second you fell into my office ten years ago and turned my life upside down."

Without breaking eye contact, Ana wraps her arms around Christian's neck and runs her hands through his copper locks. "I know. Your actions show it every day." Ana says. She brushes her lips against his. "I fell in love with you then too. You turned my life upside down too! But I wouldn't have it any other way." Ana pulls Christian's mouth down to hers for a kiss. As his lips part, she inserts her tongue into his mouth and starts a battle with his tongue. Christian wraps his arms around Ana to pull her tight against his body as their tongues continue their battle. Christian's cock begins to harden again and Ana lifts a leg to wrap around Christian's waist. Christian's hands cup Ana's ass to lift her up and she wraps her other leg around his waist.

Several minutes later, their mouths break apart and both are gasping for air. Christian breathes in the scent from Ana's hair, trying to get his breathing under control. "Fuck Anastasia, you're going to be the death of me yet."

Ana gives Christian a sweet and innocent smile. "Who, me? I don't know what you mean Mr. Grey." She moves her hips so that her vagina rubs against his cock.

"Keep that up and I can't be responsible for my actions, Mrs. Grey." Christian growls. He repositions Ana so that his cock teases her vagina. He flashes his mega-watt smile when he hears her gasp. "Ready for another round, Mrs. Grey?" Christian backs up to the bed and sits down on the edge with Ana still on his lap.

"Always, Mr. Grey" Ana answers. She puts her hands flat on Christian's chest and pushes so that he falls back on the bed and she straddles him. She smiles as she lifts herself up before falling back down onto Christian's cock. When Christian starts to raise his hands to her breasts, she stops him. "No Sir. Just lay back and let me pleasure you."

Christian smiles and puts his hands on the mattress beside his head. "What do you have in mind, Mrs. Grey?" His eyes start to glaze over as he watches Ana run her hands over her breasts. As his breath quickens, her hands cup her breasts and her fingers play with each nipple until they are hardened and elongated. At the same time Ana raises herself up on her knees, so that Christian's cock is barely in her vagina. Christian moans as Ana lowers herself back down on his cock. As she raises herself up again, her fingers pinch each nipple and she bites her bottom lip to try to stop her own moan. "Oh Fuck Ana. Are you trying to kill me?" Christian shouts.

"No Sir! While the idea of fucking you to death does sound delightful, I certainly hope it won't be for many more decades." Ana pants. "I take it you like what you see?" Ana asks as she cups her breasts and continues to play with her nipples. Christian is only able to nod as he is unable to form words. Ana rises up again to almost pull herself off Christian's cock before slamming back down. She continues to repeat the process, quickening the speed each time. Christian lifts his hands to capture Ana's waist, but she grabs his hands and they join hands as Ana continues to right Christian's cock. Christian grins at the sight of Ana's breasts bouncing up and down in front of his face.

"CHRISTIAN!" Ana screams as she feels the beginning of her orgasm start. Her pace quickens even more as she gives in to her orgasm. As the waves of ecstasy flows through her, she slows her pace as she tries to catch her breath. Christian gives Ana an evil smirk as he starts lifting his hips up, ensuring his cock stays in Ana.

As Ana tries to restore her breath, Christian takes control and quickens his pace of thrusting into Ana. He takes hold of Ana's waist and pulls her body up and down over his cock. After a couple of minutes, Christian shouts "ANATASIA!" as he finds his release, which sends Ana over the edge again. Ana collapses onto Christian's chest. They lay like that for several minutes as they both try to recover their breathing. Christian puts his arms around Ana to hold her close before moving one hand to run his fingers through her long brown tresses. "You will definitely be the death of me, Woman. I just hope I can survive many more years of life with you!" He gives a playful squat on her ass when she giggles.

Christian sees that Ana is having difficulty keeping her eyes open. He laughs when she tries to hide a yawn. "Have I worn you out, Mrs. Grey?" he asks he uses a finger to lift her chin to gaze into her blue eyes.

Ana tries to snuggle back onto Christian's chest. "Mmm mmm, but it was definitely worth it." Ana whispers.

Christian rolls Ana off his chest and sits up. "We should get back to our beds. I do believe we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow." He stands up and gathers up their clothes. He sets Ana's beside her on the bed and starts putting his own cloths back on. While Ana gets dressed, Christian walks around the room extinguishing the various candles, except for one to be used to illuminate their way out. "Come my Darling Anastasia, I'll return you home." He says as he takes Ana's hand in his and they walk down the stairs to Elliott's Ferrari.

Christian assists Ana into the passenger seat and goes around to get in the driver's door. As he turns on the ignition he says "Elliott was right. This isn't a fucking car. I don't think even you and I would be able to fuck in this sardine can."

Ana giggles. "Is that a challenge, Mr. Grey?" She reaches across the stick shift to run her hand along Christian's thigh and rubs his groin. "I'm game if you are, Sir." She purrs.

Christian groans as he feels himself hardening under Ana's hand. He makes no attempt to remove her hand, but puts the car in motion. He shakes his head and laughs. "Definitely be the death of me."

A few minutes later, Christian pulls the car up by the back door of their home. He gets out of the car to walk around to the passenger side to assist out of the vehicle. He draws Ana into his arms to give her a deep kiss. "Goodnight my Darling Anastasia." He says when he ends the kiss and steps back. He lifts her left hand and kisses her wedding rings. "Laters, Baby." he says.

Ana runs her hands through Christian's hair. "Laters, Baby." She says. At the door, she turns back to Christian and says "Offer on the car still stands." With a giggle she turns and walks through the door.

Shaking his head, Christian gets back into the car to drive back to Elliott's for the balance of the night. He was still grinning when he entered Elliott's house.


	39. Chapter 39

Ana is still smiling when she walks into the kitchen after Christian saw her to the back door. "_I've just left him, but I can't wait to see him again. Even after ten years, I hate being away from him, even if only for a few hours."_ Ana says to herself. She blinks when the room lights suddenly turn on.

"Well, well, well. Someone certainly has a well fucked look!" Kate exclaims. "You two can't even stay apart for one night, can you?" She is standing in the kitchen doorway from the hall, standing with her arms crossed and a furious look on her face.

Ana smiles serenely at her best friend. "No, we can't." She giggles and adds "Think of it this way. Less chance we'd jump each other bones at the altar tomorrow."

"Yes, I could see that horn dog doing that." Kate says with a smile. "If you didn't jump him first, that is." Kate says slyly. "I've never seen a couple like you two. Ten years later, you both act like newlyweds and fuck like bunnies." She says wistfully.

Ana's smile quickly changes to a frown. "Kate, are you and Elliott having problems again? I thought things between the two of you were better this time around." Ana questions, showing concern that her best friend is not as happy in her marriage as she herself is. Elliott and Kate had had their problems and they had divorced after Kate had discovered Elliott repeating cheating on her. But after a few years apart, they had sorted out their differences and had remarried. Their reconciliation led to another baby and Ana thought they were doing fine. "_But you know that Elliott almost cheated again just last month and it was only Christian's intervention that prevented Elliott from straying that evening. And Christian enlisted Ana's assistance in leading the prying press astray." _Ana reminds herself. Ana walks over to Kate to give her a hug.

Kate hugs Ana back. "No, things haven't been too bad. At least I don't think that Elliott is cheating on me again, although I was beginning to have concerns about his secretary. She always seemed to be mesmerized by him when I stopped by the office. But that's moot since she quit last month and her replacement is middle aged." Kate shrugs. "I guess it's just I see you and Christian together. When you are both in the same room, neither one can take your eyes off the other. You both are eye fucking each other. And the electricity between the two of you! Whew!" Kate laughs and fans herself. "I just wish Elliott would react to me in the same way Christian reacts to you. It was like that when we first started dating, but after marriage and children, we just seem to settle into a routine. The spark was re-ignited when we got back together, but it seems to have fizzled again." Kate looks at Ana. "How do you do it? I mean, after ten years and pregnant with your seventh child, you both still act like you did when you first got together."

Ana hugs Kate again. "I really don't know Kate. I'm sorry that I can't give you any advice. Neither one of us had any serious relationships to use as a comparison. All that I know is that I was mesmerized by Christian from the second I met him that day I entered his office to do your interview. And Christian had the same reaction. The time I left him was the worst five days in both our lives and neither one of us ever want to go through that again. We don't consciously do anything, what we just do what comes natural to both of us. Neither one of us feel whole without the other. We complete each other. We are soul mates."

Ana pulls back and looks at Kate. "Why are you up? I thought you were out for the night. You could barely keep your eyes open when we were sitting at the kitchen table talking to Gail."

Kate narrows her eyes as she holds Ana's stare. "Yes. I would have been if I'd taken that sleeping pill you tried to slip into my wine." Kate laughs at Ana's guilty look. "Yes, Ana you should feel guilty. I wasn't going to stop you. I just wanted to give Christian a difficult time and make him work for you. I remember he slipped back into his mother's house the night before your wedding ten years. I had no doubt he would do something again. I just didn't want to make it too easy for him."

Ana giggles. "But how did you avoid the drugged wine? I saw you sipping at it. You went off to bed before you finished the glass when you couldn't keep your eyes open." Ana's eyes narrow when she sees Kate's smile. "Oh! My! God! You're pregnant aren't you? I wondered why you didn't finish your wine, regardless of how sleepy you were." At Kate's nod, Ana pulls her into her arms to give her a big hug. "That's fantastic! We're pregnant together again. I hope these kids will be as close as Phoebe and Ava are. When?"

"Dr. Greene just confirmed it earlier today. I'm four weeks. Elliott and I are still a bit stunned. We have been talking about having another child at some point, but didn't expect it to be this soon." Kate looks at Ana with a smirk "I never conceived as easily as you do. Christian just needs to look at you and his sperm does its thing."

"Is that why you're upset with my relationship with Christian?" Ana asks with concern.

Kate laughs. "Maybe it's just the pregnant hormones kicking in. I'm still struggling with post-partum from Elliott Junior's birth. And now I'll be doing it all again." Kate's eyes start to tear up. "I guess I'm just terrified that Elliott will get fed up with me and stray again like he did six years ago."

Ana pulls Kate back into her arms. "I'm sorry Kate. I don't really know what to advise you to do. I do think that you should talk to Elliott about your fears and concerns. If you don't talk to him, how to you expect him to understand?" Ana looks Kate in the eye. "He's a man, so he can't properly read a woman's mind." Ana jokes. Kate laughs.

"Is this why neither your or Elliott said anything when the family was all here?" Ana asks.

"No. As I said, we were shocked when Dr. Greene gave us the news. We need time to get our heads around it." Kate said. "And we didn't want to take anything away from you renewing your wedding vows with Christian."

"Speaking of which, I guess we should get to bed." Ana proclaimed. She giggles "I need all the beauty sleep I can get."

"Yeah, right Steele-Grey." Kate responds. "You still have the just fucked glow about you. And knowing Christian, that glow won't disappear very quickly." She laughs and adds "Even if it does, once you lay your eyes on him tomorrow, the smoldering look he will be sending your way will re-ignite the glow."

"Steele-Grey?" Ana questions. "Don't tell me that you're finally acknowledging that I've been Ana Grey for a decade?"

"Well, one should never rush these things, you know." Kate says laughingly. "Just don't tell Christian. I wouldn't want him to think I'm going soft. It is so enjoyable yanking his chain whenever I call you 'Steele'."

Ana laughs with her friend. "Kate, I don't know what I would have done without your friendship all these years." The two 'best friends forever' shut off the kitchen light and head upstairs to their beds for the last few hours of the night.

When Christian arrived back at Elliott's house, the house was in darkness but the front door was unlocked. He walked into the house and headed to the bar in the Great Room to pour himself a drink. When he turned the light on, he was startled to discover that Elliott was sitting in the dark, slouched in a chair, with a drink in his hand. It was obvious that it was not his first.

"Want to talk about whatever is bothering you, Big Brother?" Christian asks his brother. He is still on a high from his activities with Ana and feeling charitable.

"Why would you think something is bothering me?" Elliott answers with a question.

Christian lifts an eyebrow. "Sitting alone in the dark drinking is a normal practice for you these days?" He asks. "If it is, then we need to talk about that."

"Tonight's a first. But it may well become the norm." Elliott says bitterly.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Christian asks. "Are you having problems with your business? Your health?" Elliott shakes his head at each question. "Oh fuck! Don't tell me you're having an affair? Didn't that incident with your secretary last month teach you a lesson?"

Elliott sits up straight in his chair. "Fuck no!" Elliott reaches for the bottle near him on the table and pours himself another drink. "Since that night I've tried to take your advice and be attentive to Kate." He laughs ruefully. "Maybe too attentive." He looks at Christian. "We found out this morning that Kate is four weeks pregnant."

Christian starts to smile but restrains himself when he sees how troubled his brother is. "What's wrong? Is Kate's health at risk? Or the baby's?" he asks with concern.

"No. At least Dr. Greene didn't give any indication of any problem." Elliott quickly assures his brother. "We were both stunned at the news. Granted we weren't taking any precautions, but Kate has always had trouble conceiving." Elliott empties his glass in one gulp. "I'm concerned about Kate and how she'll cope. Elliott Junior will barely be two years old when the baby will be born. What if she can't handle the post partum depression." Elliott frowns. "And I have to admit I'm concerned that Kate will focus all of her attention on them and have no time left for me." He looks at his younger brother. "You and Ana have six children under the age of ten and a seventh on the way. You both seem to only have eyes for one another, both have demanding jobs and yet you are both very much hands-on parents with the children. How the fuck to you do it?"

Christian settles himself down in a chair across from brother and takes a sip of his drink. "I can't really say. I don't think either one of us consciously does anything, it just comes natural. I was scared shitless when Ana first told me she was pregnant with Teddy. With my fucked up past, I couldn't envision being a father. I was afraid my fuckedupness would be passed along to my children. Ana's unconditional love was gradually teaching me that maybe I was worthy of people's love, but the pregnancy was so early in our relationship that I had selfishly wanted Ana to myself before we started having children. But obviously, things changed. When Ana was in a coma after the assault by that Hyde fucker, I realized that our baby Blip was a product of our love and my love for Ana expanded to include that by-product." Christian takes another sip of his drink. "Our hiring a nanny when Ana was pregnant with the first set of twins was more to ease Ana's stress level and blood pressure and not a way to avoid being parents. We still continue having as much involvement with the children as possible. We both thrive on it. But I have to admit having nannies available 24/7 permits us to continue our demanding jobs while ensuring that the children have adult supervision." Christian smiles ruefully. "And I guess it also gives us the luxury of adult playtime without having to worry about what the children are doing." Christian looks at his brother. "Have you and Kate ever discussed a nanny for the children? If the financial impact is a concern, I'd be more than happy to assist you." At Elliott's look of outrage, Christian puts his hand up. "Think of it as a baby gift for my new niece or nephew."

Elliott sits back in his chair and lets out his breath. "Thank you for the offer Christian. I'll talk to Kate about the idea of a nanny." He grins. "Maybe I'll present it to her as Rich Uncle Christian wanting to enforce his control and protect his niece or nephew. But I'll have to word it carefully, because knowing Kate she'll take it to mean that you don't think she is a good mother."

Christian swallows the rest of his drink and stands up. "Well, I would like to continue this discussion, but I do need to get to bed. I have a busy day ahead of me and I need do get some sleep." He smirks at his brother "Not that I'll sleep very well without Ana in my bed tonight."

Elliott stands up and puts his hands up in the air. "Don't look at me bro! I'm not prepared to serve as a substitute for Ana. Tonight or any other night."

"Fuck off Lelliott!" Christian laughs. "See you in the morning."


	40. Chapter 40

"Mommy! Wake up Mommy!" In addition to the shouts, little hands are also pounding on the door.

Ana's eyes slowly open and she feels cold. She is accustomed to waking up in the warmth of Christian's arms wrapped around her body. She looks over at the other side of the large bed and finds it empty. She starts to frown at the absence of her beloved Christian, but then smiles as she remembers their boathouse rendezvous late last night. "Come in." she calls.

The bedroom door flies open and all seven children coming running into the room. In addition to her own children, Elliott and Kate's daughter Ava had a sleep over with her cousin Phoebe. Following behind the mob is Kate carrying a breakfast tray. "Don't worry, Ana. I didn't make the breakfast. I'm only delivering it for Gail." Kate says in response to Ana's concerned look.

Ana sits up in bed and Kate positions the tray over Ana's lap. Ana holds onto the tray as the bed is jostled when the children climb up onto the bed. Teddy and Phoebe assist Jason and Lucas up onto the bed. "Happy Wedding Day!" the children shout.

Christiana looks around the room. "Where's Daddy?" she asks with a worried look on her face.

Ana chuckles. Christiana is aptly named – there has always been a special bond between Christian and Christiana. "You are a Daddy's Little Girl, aren't you? Daddy spent the night with Uncle Elliott and Aunt Kate stayed here with Ava and Elliott Junior." At her daughter's questioning look, Ana explained "It is a tradition that the groom doesn't see the bride on their wedding day until they meet at the ceremony. Your Daddy and I are renewing our wedding vows today, so we wanted everything to be the same as much as possible." Ana can see that Christiana is still not satisfied. "Don't worry Honey, you'll see Daddy in a few hours. I'm sure he's missing you too."

"Okay Mommy." Christiana says. She leans over and kisses Ana on the cheek. "I'll finally be able to show off my wedding dress to Daddy!" Christiana looks at Ana and says proudly "I promised you that I wouldn't model my dress for Daddy, no matter how much he asked. And I didn't, Mommy." The girls dresses are duplicates of Ana's dress and she did not want Christian to see any of the dresses.

Phoebe laughs. "Yes, Mom. Christiana did actually manage not to tell Dad anything about her dress. And believe me, he did try to bribe both of us."

After Ana finishes eating her pancakes and bacon, Phoebe takes the tray and sets it aside on the floor. She then turns and hands a wrapped box to Ana. "Mom, Dad gave me this last night and asked that I give it to you this morning."

Ana takes the box from Phoebe and sends a questioning look to Kate. Kate shrugs, but smiles secretively. Ana unwraps the box to find a red Cartier box instead. She opens the box and gasps. Kate leans over and gasps as well when she sees the contents. Ana reaches into the box and lifts up a necklace. Clusters of diamonds forming flowers are joined together by a thin platinum chain. At the center of each diamond flower is a sapphire. Ana gently places it back in the box and lifts out a matching bracelet. She next pulls out a pair of earrings which correspond with the necklace and bracelet. The platinum and diamonds earrings are a drop style with the diamonds forming three flowers similar to the necklace and bracelet, with a small flower at the ear and increasing in size along the length of the earring. Also in the box is a pair of hair clips with diamond and sapphire flowers along the length of each clip and hair pins with a diamond flower at each end.

"Oh! My! God! Ana! They are magnificent. Master of the Universe continues to out do himself." Kate exclaims as she examines the items. "Will you want to wear the hair clips or the hair pins today?" she asks Ana.

Ana is still overwhelmed and struggles to find her breath. "I don't know. I guess I should wait and discuss the options with Franco when he and his staff arrive to do our hair."

"Can I wear them, Mommy?" Christiana asks, looking longingly at the jewelry.

Ana looks at her youngest daughter and smiles. "I'm sorry honey. I believe Daddy wants me to wear them." At Christiana's crestfallen look, Ana adds "Don't be upset honey. I have some special jewelry for you. As well as Phoebe and Aunt Kate.

"Mom, there's a card too." Phoebe says and points to the box. Ana pulls it out and reads out loud:

_My Darling Anastasia,_

_ Once again I give you flowers. They shine almost as bright as your eyes. Hopefully these will go with your dress._

_Later today I will once again give you my heart._

_All my Love, Christian_

By the time she finishes reading the short note, tears are flowing down Ana's face. She looks at Kate and sees that her eyes are glistening too. With Kate's assistance, Ana puts the jewelry on and models them for Kate and the children.

"Mom, someone wants to talk to you." Phoebe says as she holds Ana's phone out to her. Ana looks questioningly at her daughter as she hadn't heard the phone ring.

"Hello?" Ana says.

"Good morning Anastasia. I missed you when I woke up this morning." Christian says.

"I missed you too My Darling Husband. This bed is too big for just one person." Ana says. "I didn't hear the phone ring."

Christian chuckles. "I didn't call you. Phoebe called. Are you having a fun breakfast?"

"Yes I am. You obviously know that Phoebe gave me your present. They are beautiful. Even Kate is speechless." Ana says. "And yes, they will go with my dress."

"I hope they go without your dress too!" Christian purrs. "After I peel your dress off you tonight, I want you to leave the jewelry on." Christian laughs seductively. "And stop biting your lip, Anastasia. I want to do that tonight."

Kate starts laughing when she sees Ana's face blushing. "Come on Grey! Keep it PG. There are young ears around here." She calls out loud enough for Christian to hear.

Ana rolls her eyes. "I know you're rolling our eyes, Anastasia." Christian says.

Ana giggles. "Stow your twitching palm, Mr. Grey!" Ana smiles and says "I can't wait to see you. Just be sure you don't stand me up. Otherwise I'll have to send my security team out to hunt you down."

"Have no fear of me standing you up. It would only take a natural disaster to prevent me from being there." Christian assures Ana.

"Don't tempt fate, Christian." Ana says. "I have to go have my shower. Before I know it, Franco will be here to do my hair. I'll let you talk to the children." Ana laughs. "Christiana was most disappointed that you weren't here this morning. Laters Baby."

Ana passes the phone back to Phoebe for Christian to talk to each of the children. Ana heads into the bathroom to start preparing herself for the day. As she stands under the spray of the shower, she reflects back to her wedding day ten years ago. On that day, she was as excited as she is today, but somewhat apprehensive as to what marriage to her Fifty Shades would bring. Especially with the marriage taking place only a few months after the two of them had met. Many people had tried to advise both Christian and Ana to wait and have a lengthy engagement to give them both time to get to know each other better. But Ana was as forceful as Christian that they wanted to be together forever and there was no sense in delaying making the legal commitment to one another. _"I know I've never regretted getting married so quickly. And I don't think Christian has ever had any regrets either."_ Ana tells herself. Ana smiles to herself as she acknowledges that Christian main reason for the quick marriage was to put his wedding ring on her to show the world that she was his. _"And he proudly shows the world he is taken by displaying your ring on his hand."_

When Ana emerges from the bathroom, she finds her bedroom empty. She dresses in jeans and a t-shirt and heads downstairs.

The main hallway is a flurry of activity. Mia is in her glory directing the various delivery people. "Ana! I've got everything under control. You don't need to worry about anything. I assured Christian that you wouldn't have to lift a finger today. Just take things easy and enjoy yourself. I think Kate and your mother are in the family room watching the children. Gail is in the kitchen supervising the caterers. She has things ready to fix you some more tea when you made an appearance. Franco isn't due here for another hour. "

Ana side steps a delivery man carrying floral displays. "No, they don't go in the house! They go in the tent outside. You know, that big white thing in the back yard!" Mia forcefully tells the man as he's about to set the pots down in the hallway. Ana quickly heads to the kitchen in search of Gail.

"Good morning, Gail." Ana says as she walks into the kitchen. "Sophie! You made it!" Ana says when she spots Taylor's daughter in the kitchen with her step-mother. "When did you arrive? I'm glad you were able to make it in time for the ceremony. Gail had told me that you weren't sure if you'd be able to get here before this evening."

"Hi Ana." Sophie says. "I managed to get a couple of days off work. Mr. Grey sent Owens in Charlie Tango to pick me up. We arrived about thirty minutes ago." She grimaces as she adds "Owens got chewed out by Mia for stirring up everything outside when he was trying to land Charlie Tango on the helipad."

"Is it safe in here?" Ana asks. At Gail's questioning look, Ana says "A Mia-free zone?"

Gail laughs. "Good morning to you too, Ana. I heard about the jewelry from Christian. I'm sure they'll look beautiful on you." Gail says. "We were just getting a tray of tea and coffee ready to take into the family room. It's a 'Mia-free zone' as well. I'll add your cup to the tray and meet you in there."

Ana heads to the family room to find the children laying on the floor watching a movie on television. Kate is sitting on the couch with Elliott Junior on her lap. Carla is sitting on a nearby chair. "Momma!" Lucas exclaims as he spots his mother in the doorway. He gets up off the floor and runs to Ana, quickly followed by his twin Jason. They both hug Ana's legs until she bends down to hug them back.

"Go back and watch your movie." Ana tells them both. As they run back to join their siblings and cousins, Ana heads over to the couches were the women are sitting. "Gail said she would be here in a few minutes with tea and coffee for us."

She leans over to kiss her mother. "How are you, Mom? I trust you slept okay?" Ana takes a seat on the couch beside Kate.

"Yes Ana. The bed is very comfortable." Carla tells her daughter. "When did you say that Ray would be arriving?"

"He should be here anytime. I tried to get him to drive down yesterday to be here for last night's family dinner, but he declined saying that he would drive up with Jose's father this morning." Ana tells her mother. Ana doesn't want to admit to her mother that she thought that Ray's reluctant to arrive any earlier was an attempt to avoid spending time with Carla. Bob, Carla's fourth husband, had died in March and after a short period of mourning, Carla had starting phone Ray. When Carla arrived yesterday, she told Ana that she was thinking of leaving Savannah and moving to Seattle.

Gail and Sophie arrive at the doorway carrying trays of tea, coffee and snacks. Ana jumps help to assist them. "No, Ana. Please sit down." Gail quickly says. "Today is a special day for you. Christian instructed me that you were not to lift a finger to do anything today. He would have my head." After serving the other women, Gail and Sophie sit down and join them.

Ana sits back down and sighs. "I just have too much nervous energy to just sit. I need to do _something_ to put in my time." She sees Kate's smirk, but ignores it. Ana knows that Kate is remembering about Ana's late night rendezvous with Christian in the boathouse.

"Gail and Sophie. Please remember you are both guests." Ana says. "Leave the catering to the people Mia hired. I want you to enjoy yourselves."

"Thank you Ana." Gail says. "I'll try. But as you know, I'm very territorial about my kitchen."

Kate says "I'm sure if anything gets broken or damaged, Mr. Money Bags will replace it with the latest and greatest new gadget."

"Will there be any guys my age?" Sophie questions. "I'll have a dance or two with Dad, but it would be great if there was someone closer to my age to dance with."

"I'll dance with you, Sophie." Teddy says.

"That will be great, Ted." Sophie tells him. "But I can't monopolize you all evening."

Ana smiles fondly as she remembers how attentive Sophie has always been with Teddy and how mesmerized he has been of her. But she realizes that Sophie is now a young woman and may not appreciate a young boy tagging along with her. "I'm not sure about guys your age, but there will be a young man here, James Conner, that recently started working as an intern at GEH. Sophie, I'm not sure if Gail or your Dad told you we recently discovered some of Christian's biological family. James and Christian are first cousins."

"Ohhh. I'm looking forward to meeting James." Sophie says.

Ana laughs at the glare that Gail directs her way. "Don't worry Gail. I'm sure Taylor will do his fatherly duty."

"Ana, where is Christian taking you for your holiday?" Carla asks.

"I don't know. Just like our honeymoon, he refuses to tell me." Ana replies. She looks at Gail. "Gail, I know Christian had you pack my bags and Jason and Luke were quick to get them out of the house. What type of clothes did Christian instruct you to pack?"

Gail laughs. "Ana, you know my lips are sealed. Just rest assured that you will have a wonderful time."

Ana rolls her eyes and giggles. "Anytime I spend with Christian is a wonderful time. I just would like to know what he has planned." Kate starts laughing. "Oh shut up Kate. I mean besides the obvious."

Ana hears a commotion out in the hallway. "Sounds like Franco and his team is here. Let's get this party started."


	41. Chapter 41

Kate enters Ana's bedroom and gasps. As she expected, Ana is breathtaking . Franco has just finishing putting the diamond and sapphires hair pins in Ana's hair. After curling Ana's long hair, Franco used one of the new combs to hold back the air on one side, showing off the earring. Some of the strands of hair are curled and pinned down with the hairpins, giving the appearance that there are flowers twined into Ana's hair.

The neckline of Ana's dress is enhanced by the diamond and sapphire necklace and the matching bracelet sparkles on Ana's right wrist. The dress is a duplicate of Ana's original wedding dress. Although Ana had stored her original dress away, she was unable to fit into it as her body has changed over the past ten years. And of course this time, there is a small baby bump to contend with. Not that she regrets any of the pregnancies. Once Christian got over the initial shock of becoming a father sooner than expected, he was as eager as Ana to have a large family.

Ana stands up and rubs her hands over her belly. "Does the bump show much?" she asks Kate.

"Just a little." Kate responds. "But why worry? It's not like this is a shot-gun wedding. And besides, everyone knows you're pregnant… again." Kate takes Ana's hands and pulls them apart. "You look even more stunning than you did for your first wedding. It must be the pregnancy glow. Christian is going to be speechless." Kate laughs. "I better warn Elliott to have a drooling towel ready for Christian."

Ana giggles. "Oh Kate, what would I do without you?"

"I don't know. I just hope you never have to find out. And you have certainly been there for me over the years."

"Mrs. Anastasia, you look marvelous even if I do say so myself." Franco exclaims. "That Mr. Christian is one lucky man." He wiggles his eyebrows at Ana. "But you are one lucky woman to have that sexy man." Franco puts his hand to his chest. "If only I could find a man as sexy as that!"

Franco turns to Kate. "Mrs. Kate you look marvelous as well. Francine has done me proud. Have the rest of my team done me as proud?" When Christian had withdrawn his financial support from Elena's chain of salons, her business had quickly declined. Even before she had filed for bankruptcy, Franco had left to start his own salon. His clientele followed him, which sped up the decline of Elena's business. At first, Ana had not revealed to Christian that she had helped finance Franco get his business started, using her income generated from Grey Publishing. Franco paid her back, with interest, within a year and she revealed her secret to Christian. To Ana's surprise, Christian wasn't upset. In fact, he was quite proud of her business initiative and for being able to get revenge on Elena.

"Yes they have Franco." Kate answers. "The girls are all prancing around feeling like princesses. They are all quite the little divas."

"They can't help but look like princesses, they all take after their beautiful mothers." Franco exclaims. "I will say farewell to you two fine women and make my exit." He gathers up the rest of his supplies and vacates the room.

Kate turns to Ana. "Well, Steele-Grey, are you ready to get this show started?"

"Of course!" Ana said. "It's becoming quite the circus isn't it? But then what Mia Grey-Kavanaugh event doesn't?" she laughs. "Is Christian here yet?" Ana asks nervously. "I haven't heard him."

Kate grins. "Yes, he and Elliott arrived about thirty minutes ago. Elliott took him straight to his office. Probably trying to ply some liquor into him to keep him calm. Elliott is on strict orders to keep Christian behind closed doors so that he doesn't get a glimpse of you."

Ana grimaces. "Is Christian alright? Maybe I should go downstairs to see if I can calm him down." Ana says as she bites her lip, worrying about her Fifty.

"Don't you DARE!" Kate exclaims. "I know it's a renewal of vows and not an actual marriage ceremony, but the groom should still not see the bride before the ceremony." Kate looks at Ana with a smirk. "Besides, doesn't Christian always promote delayed gratification?"

Ana giggles as she rolls her eyes. "Yes, he does. Well, then let's get this circus started. I need Christian to calm ME down."

"Okay, okay." Kate says. "Let me go find Mia."

Fifteen minutes later Kate reappears. "Okay Ana. Everyone is ready for you downstairs." Ana follows Kate out of the bedroom and they head to the stairs. At the top of the stairs, Kate stops and clears her throat to get the attention of the people milling around in the foyer. As everyone looks up, Kate steps aside so that Ana can proceed down the stairs. Everyone gasps at Ana's appearance. By the time she is at the bottom of the stairs, Ray and Carla are there to greet to her. Both have tears in their eyes.

Ray takes Ana by the hand and raises the hand to his lips. "Ana, you are even more beautiful than ever. And I didn't think that was possible."

"Thank you Dad." Ana says, with tears forming in her eyes. "I feel very special today."

"Mommy! You look like a princess!" Christiana exclaims.

Ana smiles at her daughter. "So do you." Ana laughs as Christiana preens with the compliment. "You do too Phoebe." She looks at her sons. "And you all look like princes. And I'm sure your Father looks like a prince too."

Mia appears in the foyer. "OH! MY! GOD! Ana! You look stunning!" she exclaims. "I can't wait to see Christian's reaction. I'll have to be sure one of the cameras is positioned on Christian's face." Mia looks at everyone. "Okay people. Into position. Ray, you escort Carla to your seats. Dad has already escorted Mom to their seats and Teddy escorted Margaret to her seat. "

Carla takes Ray's arm and they proceed out the garden door. Mia turns to Kate. "Kate, you escort Jason and Lucas. Phoebe and Christiana, you follow behind Kate and stand by your father to wait for your mother's appearance. Teddy and Carrick. Once your sisters are with your father, you will start to escort your mother down the aisle."

Kate takes the hands of the youngest twins and proceeds out the door, walking down the aisle to the front where Christian and Elliott are standing. As she starts walking, she sees Christian is trying to restrain myself from running his hands through his hair. She smiles to herself "_He'll be beside myself when he finally gets a view of Ana."_ Kate turns her attention to her husband and smiles. Their eyes lock the entire time Kate walks down the aisle. As she gets to the front, Elliott mouths "_I love you!_" and Kate mouths the same words back to him.

Phoebe starts down the aisle and is followed by Christiana. All the guests smile at the Grey princesses. When Phoebe arrives at the front, she stands to one side of her father and takes his hand. At that point, Christiana runs the rest of the way and takes her father's other hand. The guests laugh at Christiana's eagerness to be with her father.

At Christian's gasp, everyone turns their focus on Christian. When they see him flash his mega-watt smile and see his grey eyes focused on a spot behind them, they turn their heads and see that Ana has finally made an appearance. There is a unified gasp from everyone in the crowd. Ana is escorted down the aisle by her two oldest sons, but she only has eyes for Christian. Blue eyes are locked with grey. When Ana and her escorts are half way down the aisle, Phoebe and Christiana escort their father back up the aisle to meet their brothers and mother. Christian drops his hands from his daughters to cup Ana's face. "You look beautiful Anastasia." Christian manages to whisper the words. Ana raises her hands to cup Christian's face and sees the tears in his eyes. "You look quite dashing yourself Christian." She whispers, with tears in her eyes. Grey eyes stare into blue, unaware of anyone else until they hear Elliott's voice "Yo, Bro. You're holding up the show." and the laughter of their guests.

Christian offers his arm to Ana and they proceed to the front of the guests, followed by Phoebe on Teddy's arm and Christiana on her twin Carrick's arm. Once they were all positioned at the front, Reverend Walsh starts the ceremony.

At the appropriate time, Ana and Christian turn to face each other. As they stare into each other's eyes, they hold hands close to their chests. Ana starts to recite her vows:

"I give you my solemn vow to continue to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, to stand by your side in good times and in bad, to share your joy as well as your sorrow.

I promise to continue to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals and dreams, to _obey, _honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, to share my hopes and dreams with your, and bring you solace in times of need.

And to cherish you for as long as we both shall live."

During her vows, Ana emphasized the word 'obey'. As she spoke the word, Ana smiled serenely at her beloved Fifty. In response, he squeezed her hand, his grey eyes gleamed and his lips formed an evil smile which caused Ana to catch her breath.

Kate was the only other person to catch the additional word and she rolled her eyes as she laughed to herself. She was aware of the argument Ana and Christian had when they were trying to write their original vows and Ana refused to cave in to Christian's insistence of including the word 'obey' in her vows. Kate is well aware that Ana will continue to do as she pleases, and Christian long ago acknowledged that. The difference now is that Christian and Ana discuss things and make decisions together and Christian would not demand Ana do something he knew she would not willing do. Kate sighs wistfully as she wishes she and Elliott had such a relationship.

Christian raises a hand to stroke Ana's cheek. His eyes are glistening with tears and his voice breaks with emotion as he starts to recite his vows:

"I solemnly vow that I will continue to safeguard and hold dear and deep in my heart our union, you and our children. I promise to love you faithfully, forsaking all others, through the good times and the bad, in sickness and in health, regardless of where life takes us. I will protect you and our children, trust you, and respect you. I will share your joys and sorrows and comfort you in times of need. I promise to cherish you and uphold your hopes and dreams and keep you safe at my side. All that is mine continues to be yours. I once again give you my hand, my heart, and my love from this moment on for as long as we both shall live."

As he says the last few words, Ana raises her hand to caress his cheek. As Christian finishes, he draws her hand to his lips to kiss it. In synch, they both raise their hands around the other's head to bring their mouths together for a deep earth shattering kiss. Their mouths part and their tongues battle each other. Through the fog, Christian faintly hears Elliott's voice "Yo, Bro. Time for that later." Followed by the laughter of the guests. Christian pulls his mouth away from Ana's only to pull her into his arms as they both take time to steady their breathing. After a minute or two, Ana is aware of her surroundings and she blushes. Christian throws his head back and laughs in joy.

Their children surround them for hugs and kisses and start to throw confetti at them. They are soon joined by their family members and guests. Ana and Christian mingle among the guests before Jose gets their attention for picture taking. While the guests are directed to the nearby tent for refreshments, the extended Grey family head to Ana's Meadow for the photo session.

After numerous attempts of positioning everyone, the children finally all co-operate at the same instant and Jose is able to get several shots of the extended family, including Margaret, Ray and Carla. At Ana's requests, Jose takes pictures of the smaller family units: Elliott, Kate and their children and Mia, Ethan and their children as well as Carrick, Grace and their three children. Jose also takes pictures of Christian and Ana with their children as well as pictures of the children without their parents. Tears form in Ana and Grace's eyes, when Christian requests photos of him and Margaret. When the group shots are done, Jose shoos everyone away from the meadow except for Christian and Ana. The children are reluctant to leave their parents, but once both Ana and Christian assure them that they would be along shortly, the children leave with their grandparents.

Once the group leaves the area, Jose positions Christian and Ana in various poses, including a re-creation of the pose from their original wedding photos that was so similar to the pose of Bobby and Ella in the picture Edna had given to Ana. Christian's favorite pose is one where he stands behind Ana, with her body half turned towards him. They are looking into one another's eyes, with Ana's hand caressing Christian's cheek and his hand caressing her pregnant belly. Ana's favorite pose is the two of them sitting opposite each other in the meadow, with arms around the other, gazing into one another's eyes. The pose reminds Ana of the many times she and Christian have spent over the years having picnics in the meadow with the children. After eating, the children would run around playing while their parents enjoyed each other's company in the outdoors. Ana could not help herself from blushing at the memories of the times that innocent enjoyment led to more risqué enjoyment. Christian chuckles when he sees Ana blushing. He finds himself having to readjust himself as he is growing hard at the same memories. Jose raises an eyebrow in question at Ana's blush and Christian's chuckle, but quickly realizes the significance of the compromising position sighs and shakes his head.

When Jose is satisfied with the pictures, Christian helps him pack up his equipment and the trio head to the tent to join in the festivities. Ana has trouble walking on the ground in her heels, so Christian picks up to carry her in his arms. Just outside the tent, Christian stops to set Ana down. As he releases her from his arms, he does so in a way that her body slides down his. When she is standing on her feet, Christian pulls Ana to him in a tight embrace. "I love you Mrs. Grey. More and more each day, if that is possible." Christian whispers before his lips captures hers in a deep kiss. As the kiss continues, Christian bents Ana backwards and her hands cling to his arms. Neither one are aware of Jose snapping pictures of their embrace.

"Fuck, Christian! Can you not keep your hands and mouth off Ana for more than ten minutes?" Elliott exclaims.

Christian stands Ana back on her own two feet, but keeps his arm around her, pulling her close to his body. "No I can't, Lelliott." Christian responds with a smirk. He laughs when he sees Ana's flushed face.

Ana smiles as she looks up at Christian through her lashes. "And there's nothing wrong with that." She turns to look at her brother-in-law. "And I can't keep mine off Christian either." She says. She narrows her eyes and continues "Which is probably why we are still so happy after all these years." She smiles to herself when she sees Elliott pale and his usual smile turns to a frown. Elliott turns to leave them without responding. At Christian's raised eyebrow, Ana whispers "Laters, Baby." and turns towards the tent.

Elliott walks to the front of the stage and picks up the microphone. "Welcome everyone. Thank you for coming to the Vow Renewal Ceremony of my little brother Christian and his loving wife Ana. I believe dinner is just about ready, so please take your seat."


	42. Chapter 42

After Elliott announces that dinner is ready, Christian has his arm around Ana's waist as he escorts her to their table. It takes them quite some time as they stop at each table to speak to those already seated and thank them for coming. Before sitting down at the Head Table, Christian and Ana stopped at the table next to theirs to chat with James Conners and his parents, Richard and Edna, who were seated with Margaret White, Carrick, Grace, Ray and Carla. After assuring themselves that Richard and Edna were enjoying their visit to Seattle, Christian and Ana stopped at the table on the other side of the Head Table to reassure themselves that the children were behaving. The nanny, Mildred Livingston, assures them that the children have been on their best behavior.

"Yes, Mommy. We are being good." Christiana assures her mother. "Daddy, when can I dance with you?" she asks Christian.

"Well, you have to be sure to eat your dinner and continue to be a good girl." Christian tells her. "But I have to dance with _all_ my girls. Naturally my first dance will be with your Mother."

Christiana sighs. "Okay Daddy. I'll be waiting."

As they turn from the table, Christian whispers to Ana "I saw that eye rolling, Mrs. Grey."

Ana giggles. "Stow that twitching palm, Mr. Grey." She whispers back. "Christiana is such a Daddy's girl."

"And what's wrong with that?" Christian smirks. Ana rolls her eyes again.

Christian and Ana also stop at a table close to the Head Table where the Taylors and Sawyers are seated, as well as Steve Owens and his wife. Although Jason and Luke were officially off-duty and security was being done by others, Jason had insisted that their table be as close as possible to the Head Table. Ana leans over to whisper in Sophie's ear to point out James Conner. Sophie tries to get a glance without being obvious and then gives Ana a thumbs up. Jason follows his daughter's look and frowns when he realizes what was happening. At Christian's questioning look, Ana just laughs.

They take their seats at the Head Table, joining Elliott, Kate, Mia, Ethan, and Jose's wife Maria. A few minutes later, Jose arrives at the table, with one of his cameras still in his hand. "Sorry I'm late. I've just been taking some candid shots of the guests."

"Thanks Jose. I know the pictures will be fantastic as always." Christian says. Ana smiles as strokes his sleeve in appreciation that he is now civil to Jose. Christian picks up her hand and brings it to his lips for a kiss.

Everyone settles into their chairs to enjoy the multi course meal. As the dessert was being served, Mia said "Ana, I don't understand why you and Christian insisted that dessert had to be plain old vanilla ice cream. All the other courses were gourmet quality."

Christian chuckles as Ana blushes. Christian takes one of Ana's hands and raises it to his lips. "The children love vanilla ice cream." Christian tells his sister with a smirk. Christian leans over to whisper in Ana's ear "And so does their very resourceful Daddy." Ana blushes even more.

Elliott returns to the microphone. "Thank you again everyone for joining us today to help Christian and Ana celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary." Elliott smiles at Ana. "Ana, I am forever thankful that you stumbled into Christian's life. I credit you for enticing my brother out of his ivory tower and forced him to realize that he was worthy of love." Elliott smiles at Kate. "And of course if Christian hadn't been so mesmerized by Ana, I may have never met my beautiful wife Kate nor would Ethan and Mia have met." Elliott again turns his attention to Christian and Ana. "Christian and Ana, you are the most affectionate couple I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. When you two are in the same room, you only have eyes for each other. Even after ten years together, you act like newlyweds." He dramatically fans himself. "And the temperature of the room skyrockets." Everyone laughs. Christian smirks at Ana's blush.

Kate joins Elliott at the microphone and takes it from her husband. "Ana and Christian. It is my pleasure to be by your side for your renewal of vows, just as I was for your original wedding." She looks Christian straight in the eye. "Christian, we have had our moments of contention, but only because of our mutual love for Ana. I was concerned that Ana was in over her head as your relationship developed so quickly. Today as you celebrate ten years of marriage, I have to admit that I was wrong. Yes, I Katharine Kavanaugh Grey is able to admit I was wrong. For the first and only time in my life. But Christian Trevelyan Grey, IF you EVER do anything to upset Ana, be prepared to answer to me." Kate looks at Ana. "Ana, we have been BFFs for years and I hope we continue to be until our deaths. You were a good friend that, however reluctantly, took my place when I was too sick to travel to Seattle to interview a certain CEO of Grey Enterprises. You mesmerized that CEO so much, that he dragged his brother with him one fateful evening to rescue you at a bar. Because of that, I met the love of my life – Elliott Gray." As she is speaking, she turns and takes Elliott's hand. She raises their joined hands to her lips to kiss Elliott's wedding band. She whispers "I love you." to him and he whispers the same words back to him.

Christian walks up to the microphone and kisses Kate on both cheeks before hugging her. He turns to Elliott to shake his hand, but Elliott pulls him into a hug and says "What? No kiss for your Big Brother?" The guests laugh. Christian mouths "Fuck Off, Lelliot." and both Christian and Elliott laugh as they embrace again.

Christian took the microphone from Kate and turned to his guests. "I want to thank everyone for coming here today. Anastasia and I appreciate the love and attention that everyone has given us today. The past ten years have been the most wonderful time of my life. I hope we have many more decades together." Christian looks at his Mother. "My one regret today is that my grandparents Theodore and Grace Trevelyan are no longer with us. They were an important part of our wedding ten years ago as they helped welcome Ana into the Trevelyan-Grey family. Grandfather passed away almost seven years ago and Grandmother was lost without her beloved Theodore and passed away only a few months later. Ana and I were thrilled to provide them with their first great-grandchild Theodore Raymond. I'm sure they would have been thrilled to have been present here today, if only to witness for themselves that I have somehow managed to keep Ana happy all these years." Christian smirks as he adds "Of course, knowing Grandmother, she would probably tell me to stop making Ana _so_ happy and give the poor girl a chance to wear something other than maternity clothes." The guests laugh. "For today's celebration I do have another Grandmother in attendance." Christian beams his mega-watt smile towards Margaret. "For those of you who haven't heard, earlier this year I discovered I had another grandmother. Margaret White has relocated to Seattle and will soon be moving into an apartment here. She seems to be enjoying being around our crew of children and hopefully she won't regret her decision."

He looks straight at Ana, grey eyes capturing blue. "Anastasia, you stumbled into my life ten years ago - a young college co-ed about to graduate and venture out into the real world. I somehow managed to convince you to take a chance with me and you have managed to show me that I do have a heart. You have brought light into my life by taking me away from my dark side. You have matured into being a CEO of your own publishing company, a philanthropist, the Mother of our children and most important to me, my Partner in Life." Christian walks towards Ana and pulls her into his arms. He cups her face and says "I love you Anastasia Rose Grey. Forever and ever." To the delight of the guests, he dips Ana from the waist and kisses her. Several minutes later, Christian stands Ana back on her feet and laughs at her blush.

Christian leads Ana over to the side table that holds the wedding cake. They pose for Jose while he takes numerous photographs of just the two of them cutting the cake. Ana calls the children over to pose for more pictures and to help cut the cake. Teddy, Phoebe, Carrick and Christiana distribute the pieces of cake to the guests. They are soon joined by their older cousins Ava and Grace and aunts and uncles to assist with the serving of the cake. Christian and Ana serve their parents and grandmother before sitting down to enjoy their own pieces of cake.

As the plates are being cleared away, the DJ announces that the dancing will soon be starting with Christian and Ana having the traditional first dance. Christian flashes Ana his megawatt smile. "May I have this dance, Mrs. Grey?" he says as he extends his hand. Ana smiles back as she stands and takes his hand. Christian leads Ana out to the middle of the dance floor and pulls her into his arms. "I love you Anastasia." he says before giving her a brief kiss on the lips.

"I love you too Christian." Ana says breathlessly.

Christian starts to glide around the room, one hand holding Ana's hand and the other wrapped around her waist, holding her tight against his chest. As they dance, he starts singing softly to her. Ana smiles as she recognizes the song "_Dark Side"_ by Kelly Clarkson.

_Oh oh oh, there's a place that I know  
It's not pretty there and few have ever gone  
If I show it to you now  
Will it make you run away?_

Or will you stay  
Even if it hurts  
Even if I try to push you out  
Will you return?  
And remind me who I really am  
Please remind me who I really am

Everybody's got a dark side  
Do you love me?  
Can you love mine?  
Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it  
Will you love me?  
Even with my dark side?

Like a diamond  
From black dust  
It's hard to know  
What can become  
If you give up  
So don't give up on me  
Please remind me who I really am

Everybody's got a dark side  
Do you love me?  
Can you love mine?  
Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it  
Will you love me?  
Even with my dark side?

Don't run away  
Don't run away  
Just tell me that you will stay  
Promise me you will stay  
Don't run away  
Don't run away  
Just promise me you will stay  
Promise me you will stay

Will you love me? ohh

Everybody's got a dark side  
Do you love me?  
Can you love mine?  
Nobody's a picture perfect  
But we're worth it  
You know that we're worth it  
Will you love me?  
Even with my dark side?

Don't run away  
Don't run away

Don't run away  
Promise you'll stay

As the song ends, Ana cups Christian's face to pull his lips down to hers. "I've never run away and I will stay forever. I'll always love all of your fifty shades." she vows.

Christian and Ana separate to head to their parents' tables. Ana dances with Ray and Christian dances with Grace. For the next song, Christian dances with Phoebe, Ana with Teddy, Elliott and Kate, Mia and Ethan, Carrick and Grace, Ray and Carla. When the song ends, Christiana runs to Christian and says "My turn Daddy. You promised." As everyone laughs, Christian picks his youngest daughter up in his arms to circle the dance floor as Ana dances with Carrick Junior and other couples join them on the dance floor. Across the dance floor, Christian and Ana gaze at one other. Christian thinks to himself "_Life can't get much better than this."_

After several hours of dancing and mingling among the guests, Christian is getting anxious to get his Ana alone. He spots her on the other side of the tent talking to some people. Feeling his eyes on her, she looks up and they lock eye contact – grey staring into blue. He whispers "Time to go." She shakes her head and lifts both hands up with fingers displayed to indicate she needs ten more minutes. He shakes his head and smiles as he starts to stride across the tent. His grin becomes wider as he realizes that Ana is moving away from him to talk to other people. "_I still have my stalking skills."_ he smirks to himself as he proceeds to follow Ana's movement around the room. Christian feels a hand on his sleeve and he stops to see who had the nerve to interrupt him in his stalking of his wife. He turns to glare at the individual, but the glare quickly fades as he realizes the person is Taylor.

"Everything is ready, Boss." Taylor informs Christian.

"Good. Thanks Jason." Christian responds. "I'm trying to get Ana to leave, but you know how she has to talk to everyone."

Taylor nods. "The team will be in the designated spot waiting for you." Taylor smiles and adds "When you manage to pry yourselves away."

Christian turns away from Taylor and is unable to spot Ana. "_Fuck!_" His eyes frantically scan around the tent and he starts to panic. He starts to stride across the area to where he last saw Ana. "_Breathe Christian breathe."_ he tells himself. "_She can't have disappeared into thin air."_ He turns quickly when he faintly hears someone giggle and recognizes it as Ana's. He looks through an opening of the tent and sees Ana talking to Kate. As he heads in that direction, he sees Kate walk back into the tent. Without stopping to talk to her, Christian picks up his pace in an attempt to get Ana back in his sight. In the darkness, he manages to spot Ana in her white dress and the diamonds sparkling in the moonlight. His frown quickly changes to his trademark mega-watt smile when he realizes where she is heading.


	43. Chapter 43

Christian opens the door the boathouse just seconds after Ana had entered. Before she is able to climb the stairs to the loft, he grabs her around the waist and pulls her back to his body. "Trying to run away, are you Mrs. Grey?" he whispers in her ear before running a series of kisses down her neck.

Ana turns around in his arms and puts her arms around his neck. "Just thought I would test your stalking skills, Mr. Grey." She answers. She giggles and adds "I wouldn't want you to lose those skills."

Christian laughs. "With a wife like you, Anastasia, I don't think that would be possible. You are always testing me." He lowers his mouth to hers. His tongue circles her lips and when her lips part, he plunges his tongue into her mouth to battle with hers. After several minutes, they break apart, both breathless. "Fuck woman! You will be the death of me yet."

Ana smiles sweetly. "But at least you'd die with a smile on your face." She runs her hands over his chest, circles his waist and reaches down to cup his ass, pulling his body closer to hers.

"Point well made." Christian responds. Ana smiles as she feels his growing erection.

"I love your point." She purrs and smiles wickedly at her husband as she rub her pelvis against his crotch.

Christian moans. "We need to say good-bye to the children as it's time to leave for our vacation. You keep that up and we'll be delayed."

Ana pouts. "Well, you haven't told me where we are going and we have our own transportation, so I doubt we have a schedule to meet." She moves her hands to the waistband of Christian's pants. "Don't we have time for a little kinky fuckery? I missed not waking up with you this morning."

"For you, my darling wife, anything. But we will need to be quick." he says as he turns her around to undo the buttons running down the back of her dress. As Christian unfastens each button, he makes a point of running his fingers along the exposed flesh. He smirks as he hears Ana's moans. When he unfastens the last button, he peels the dress down her body. He gasps at the sight in front of him. Ana is wearing a white push up bra and matching thong as well as white thigh high stockings attached to a white garter belt and high heeled white shoes. "Baby, you are breathtaking."

Christian puts his hands on Ana's waist and lifts her up out of the pool of her dress. She wraps her legs around his waist and puts her arms around his neck. Christian lowers his mouth to hers to run his tongue over her lips. When her lips part, he slides his tongue into her mouth to battle with her tongue. Christian walks towards the wall to provide Ana support as he unwraps her legs from around his waist. Ana releases her hands from around Christian's neck and starts to unbutton the waistband of his pants before reaching for his zipper. "Someone's anxious, isn't she?" Christian chuckles.

As Ana pulls Christian's pants and boxers down around his ankles, she goes down on her knees. As she grips his cock, Ana looks up at Christian through her lashes. "You have no idea. I guess I shouldn't have used the balls." She says before taking him into her mouth.

"Oh Baby! That feels so good." Christian says breathlessly. "I love fucking your mouth." He puts his hands on the back of Ana's head to direct her sucking. "Oh yeah! Faster! Faster!" he pants. Ana continues to look up at her husband as she continues pumping him with her mouth, taking in his entire length. Christian's eyes close as they glaze over. "Oh Fuck! I'm going to come!" he shouts. Ana continues pumping as Christian explodes in her mouth. She swallows and uses her tongue to lick him clean. "Oh Anastasia. You still excel at oral." Christian tells her when he's able to speak once again. He pulls Ana up into his arms to give her a deep kiss, tasting himself on her lips.

Christian runs his hands over her body and into her panties. He inserts a finger into her sex. "You are always so ready for me, Anastasia." He says as he feels her wetness. He inserts a second finger and swirls his fingers around. He grins as Ana gasps. His fingers take hold of the string of the Ben Wai balls and pull them out of her vagina. With the balls in his hand, he tugs on the thong until it rips apart in his hand. He tosses both the balls and thong down onto his pants lying on the floor.

Christian backs Ana up against the wall. Ana once again wraps her legs around Christian's waist. Christian grips Ana's ass to pull her onto his erection. Ana gasps at the suddenness. "You okay, Baby?" he asks her.

"Yes, Christian. Fuck me hard!" Ana shouts before capturing his mouth with hers. Christian pulls his cock out of her before slamming back into her. He repeats several times until he can feel Ana's orgasm building.

"Come for me Baby!" Christian shouts as he continues pumping. Ana's body starts to tremor as she falls over the edge. Christian continues to thrust in and out of Ana as she rides through her orgasm. As her body starts to calm down, he pulls his cock out of her, only to slam back into her. He continues the rhythm for several more thrusts until he feels himself ready to explode. "Oh Fuck, Ana! I'm going to come." He shouts as he starts to explode, holding eye contact with Ana. Ana screams as she climaxes again.

Christian continues to press Ana against the wall, with her legs wrap around his waist until their breathing returns to normal. Ana pulls her legs from around his waist to try to stand on her own feet. Christian smirks as he sees that Ana is still unsteady. He leans down to retrieve his pants from the floor, picking up the balls and torn thong. He puts the balls and thong into his pocket and pulls out a handkerchief. He bends down to use the handkerchief to clean Ana.

Christian puts his pants back on and helps Ana back into her dress. Once they are both dressed again, he pulls her into his arms for a hard, quick kiss. "Mrs. Grey, you have made us late for our departure. Everyone will be wondering where we are."

Ana giggles. "Oh I think our family and close friends will likely have some idea." Christian smirks as he takes Ana's hand and leads her out of the boathouse.

They walk hand in hand back to the tent to start to say their thank yous and goodbyes to people. They purposely leave their children to the last. Ana is teary eyed as she hugs and kisses each of the children. When she hugs Teddy, she whispers "Be sure to keep an eye on your brothers and sisters, okay?"

"Of course Mom. I always do." He grimaces when Ana reaches out to run her hand through his copper locks.

"I know you do, Teddy." Ana says proudly. Ana turns to the other children and reminds them to watch out for each other and Teddy is to help Mrs. Livingston and Mrs. Taylor look after everyone. Ana stands back and is still fighting tears as she watches Christian hug and kiss all of the children. _"He's come a long way in the past ten years. At one time, he couldn't allow anyone to touch him and now he has no problem initiating the contact himself."_ Ana looks over at her mother-in-law and sees Grace is fighting back tears as well at the scene she is witnessing.

Christian stands up from having lowered himself to the children's eye level. He puts his arm around Ana and says in a strangled voice "We need to leave Anastasia." Ana nods her agreement, unable to say anything in casethey both break down.

Outside of the tent, Taylor is waiting at the SUV. He opens the rear door as Christian and Ana approach the vehicle. After she fastens her seat belt, Ana turns to Christian and says "Okay. Will you tell me NOW where we are going?"

Christian flashes his mega-watt smile and responds "No. It's a surprise." Ana gives an over dramatic sigh as she settles into her seat. Christian laughs at her reaction. He reaches over and lifts one of her hands to his lips. He kisses each knuckle. "All will be revealed shortly. You just need to be patient."

Ana giggles. "When have you ever known me to be patient, Mr. Grey?"

"Point well made, Mrs. Grey." Christian responds with a smirk. Christian releases Ana's hand after kissing it again. As her hand drops, she rests it on Christian's thigh. When he gives no reaction, she runs a finger along his thigh and over to his groin. At his intake of breath, Ana smiles and looks at her husband. As they lock eyes, blue staring into grey, Ana's hand moves to stroke Christian's cock through his pants. Christian's hands move to undo the button of his pants and undo his zipper. Ana's hand reaches inside his pants to release his cock through his boxers. Christian moans and rests his head back against the back of the car seat. Ana continues to pump his cock with her hand. She runs a fingernail along the length before running the pad of her thumb over the end. She uses her finger to spread the pre-cum over the shaft. "Oh Baby! That feels good." Christian pants. "Don't stop!" he shouts as Ana releases her grasp on his cock and rests her hand back on the seat between them.

"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" Ana demands. She places her hand back on Christian's thigh and her finger traces circles on his thigh inching closer to his cock which is still exposed and still rigid. She smirks when his cock twitches towards her hand.

"Mrs. Grey! I look forward to punishing you for this." Christian says threw gritted teeth. He grabs Ana's hand and wraps it around his cock, rubbing it up and down the excessive length. "Oh yeah Baby! Keep stroking!" Christian gasps breathlessly as he continues to guide Ana's hand up and down his length.

"Tell me, Christian, or I'll stop again." Ana says breathlessly. Her blue eyes lock with his grey eyes. She smiles salaciously as she sees his eyes glazing over.

"You'll know soon enough, Anastasia. Just please don't stop now, or I won't be able to get out of the car anytime soon." Christian says. Ana continues pumping Christian's cock with her hand. "Oh Fuck! I'm going to come." Christian shouts. Ana unbuckles her seat belt and leans across the seat to take Christian's cock in her mouth. As soon as she starts sucking, Christian explodes in her mouth. His hands cup the back of Ana's head as she uses her tongue to lick him clean after she swallows. When she finishes, she removes her mouth from Christian's cock and sits sedately back in her seat.

It takes Christian a few minutes to get his breathing back to normal and he readjusts his boxers and pants. "Anastasia, you'll be the death of me yet." He says as he looks adoringly at his wife. "Fuck, I love your giggle." He says as she responds with a giggle. "Okay. You win." He says with a big sigh. "We're flying to Paradise tonight." He reaches over and takes Ana's hand and brings it up to his lips. "And I'm going to fuck you hard as many times as possible on the plane." He promises. He smirks when Ana reacts by catching her breath and her eyes glaze over. "And we'll make love as well." He whispers and he holds Ana's hand over his heart.

"Anywhere with you is Paradise, Christian." Ana says. "Well, at least I know we are going on a long flight." She looks at her husband with a sly grin on her face. "Although, I wouldn't put it past you to have the plane fly in circles above Seattle just so that we could renew our membership in the Mile High Club."

Christian laughs as he says "Now there's an idea I never thought of. Always thinking, Mrs. Grey."

They continue the rest of the ride to the airport gazing into each other's eyes. When the vehicle comes to a stop, Taylor opens the rear door for Christian to step out. Christian turns to assist Ana out of the vehicle.

Christian beams his mega-watt smile as Ana gasps when she sees what is in front of them. Instead of the GEH plane she expected to see when they arrived at SEA-TAC airport, the plane is a new plane with 'Grey Publishing' emblazoned on the side. "Happy Anniversary, Anastasia." Christian says.

"What? Why?" Ana gasps as she wraps her arms around her husband's neck to lower his mouth to hers for a deep kiss.

"With you expanding Grey Publishing internationally, you'll need to be doing more travelling. So I thought you should have your own plane. Naturally, we'll still try to travel together as much as possible, but if need be, Ros can use the GEH plane for business travelling if I'm travelling elsewhere with you." Christian explains.

Christian picks Ana up in his arms. "Come, Mrs. Grey. I have a new threshold to carry you over."

Ana snuggles into her husband's arms, closer to his chest as Christian starts to climb the stairs into the plane. She looks up at him through her lashes "And even better, Mr. Grey, we have new territory to christen."

"My thoughts exactly, Mrs. Grey." Christian says with a growl. "And I do believe I owe you an orgasm or two."

As they enter the cabin, they are met by the hostess and Christian sets Ana back down on her feet.

"Welcome aboard, Mr. and Mrs. Grey." Sylvia Forbes says. "Happy Anniversary. I love your dress and your jewelry, Mrs. Grey. I hope you both have an enjoyable vacation."

"Thank you Sylvia." Ana says. "Are you and your husband going to have time to enjoy the sights at our destination?" she asks as she sneeks a peek at Christian.

"Oh I hope so! I've never been to " she starts to say when she is cut off by Christian.

At Sylvia's look of confusion, Ana tries to console her. "Don't worry, Sylvia. You didn't do anything wrong. Mr. Grey still refuses to let me know where we are heading. I thought I would be able to trick you into revealing our destination." Ana turns to Christian. "You STILL won't tell me?"

Christian just laughs before pulling her close to his body for a kiss. "All will soon be revealed." Christian sees that Sylvia's husband, Justin Forbes, the pilot, has come out from the cockpit. "Hello Justin. Sorry for the delay. We were detained getting away from the party. Are we just about ready for take-off?" Ana blushes at the memory of what had delayed their departure from the party. Christian smiles when he sees the blush and runs a finger over her heated cheek. "Come, Anastasia. Let's get settled into our seats so we can take off. Once we're in the air, I'll give you a tour."

Ana settles into a nearby recliner and fastens her seatbelt. Christian is standing by the door talking to Taylor, Sawyer and Reynolds. After a few minutes, Sawyer and Reynolds take seats and fasten their seatbelts. Christian and Taylor talk for a few more minutes before they shake hands. Taylor turns and disembarks from the plane. Sylvia closes the door and notifies Justin that the cabin is secure for take-off. Christian takes the seat beside Ana. "Taylor isn't accompanying us?" Ana asks Christian.

"No. He asked to have some time off to spend with Gail and Sophie before Sophie leaves for college." Christian said. "Sawyer will be in charge of our security during the trip." At Ana's look of concern, Christian pats her hand. "Don't worry. Ryan will be in charge of security on the home front. And Taylor will likely be around home for some of the time." Christian leans over and gives Ana a quick kiss on her lips. "Our brood will be well taken care of by both sets of grandparents." He chuckles before adding "We'll likely have to deprogram them when we get home. Just lean back and relax."

Ana looks at Christian through her lashes. "That's what you always tell me, Sir."

Christian lifts Ana's hand to his smiling lips. "Just remember that, Mrs. Grey."

As soon as the signal was given that seatbelts could be unfastened, Ana was out of her seat. "Christian, you promised to give me a tour of my plane once we were in the air." She demanded.

"_Your_ plane?" Christian says with a laugh.

"Yes." Ana says forcefully. "I believe it does say 'Grey _Publishing_' on the side.

"Fuck. The painters must have misheard me when I gave the order." Christian teases. "Are you sure it said 'Publishing' and not 'Enterprise Holdings'?" He shrugs and adds "Well, I'm not about to step outside to check, so I guess I'll just have to take your word for it."

"You're pushing it, Grey!" Ana warns. "First you won't tell me where we are going and now you're trying to take back my anniversary gift?" Her act of anger is dispelled when she couldn't restrain her giggle.

Christian wraps his arms around Ana. "I don't think I'll ever hate to hear you giggle." He takes her by the hand. "Before we do the tour, I have another present for you." He tells her as he reaches into his jacket pocket. He pulls out a wrapped rectangular box and hands it to her.

"Christian! You've given me so much already." Ana says.

Christian pulls her into his arms. "Oh Ana, you've given me so much over the years. Besides the children, the most important gift you gave me was making me realize that I do have a heart." He releases her and urges her to open the present.

Ana takes the wrapping paper off the box to reveal a red Cartier box. She opens the box and after her initial gasp she starts laughing. She reaches into the box and pulls out a piece of jewelry that matches the jewelry she opened earlier in the day and still wearing with her dress. "Really Christian? Matching nipple clamps?"

Christian grins salaciously and his eyes are gleaming with lust. "I can't wait for you to model them." He says as he runs a finger from an earring, down her throat over the necklace and stroking the neckline of her dress.

Ana blushes as she realizes that Christian would have special ordered the nipple clamps. "Do you not get embarrassed when you give an order for something like this?"

"Darling Anastasia. Have you only just met me?" Christian says with a smirk. "At least I didn't include this package with the rest for you to open in front of the children."

Ana laughs. "And Kate!"

"Okay, let's do the tour." Christian says. He leans down to whisper in her ear "And then I'll peel that gorgeous dress off your sexy body and put the clamps on you. I want to take the dress off you slowly. We were rushed in the boathouse and I want to take my time this time."

Christian points out various features of the main cabin. Each seat has its own video and communication ports and will recline into beds. At the back of main seating area is a conference area, including the necessary audio-visual equipment. The galley is in an alcove between the main cabin and cockpit. It is outfitted with the latest kitchen gadgetry and space saving appliances.

"I love the color scheme." Ana says as she realizes the colors are grey with red trim throughout the plane.

"I do believe they are your two favorite colors." Christian says with a smirk. "There are a couple of small bedrooms – one for security and one for the children. Christian takes Ana by the hand to the door at the back of the plane. "And here is the master suite." He says proudly as he swings the door open.

"Oh my!" Ana says with a laugh. She turns to Christian and says "Really?"


	44. Chapter 44

Ana steps into the master suite of the Grey Publishing plane Christian has given her as a wedding anniversary. The color scheme for the interior of the plane is grey with red accents. But the colors for the master suite are reversed: red with grey accents.

"A Red Room? Really Christian!" Ana says with a laugh.

A look of concern crosses Christian's face as he runs his hands through his hair. "You don't like it? We'll have it changed when we get back to Seattle."

Ana wraps her arms around Christian to hug him. She cups his face to bring his mouth down to hers for a deep searing kiss. Several minutes later, they break apart, both breathless. "Relax. I love it." She smiles, with a twinkle in her eye, as she looks around. "So, where are the cross and the bench? Do the built in drawers contain a supply of toys?"

Christian chuckles as he says "No cross or bench. But just say the word and they could be installed." He takes Ana by the hand and walks over the drawers built into the side of the plane. "However, I did stock a couple of the drawers with some toys." He says as he pulls open the bottom two drawers. He then heads to the bed and flips back the duvet. "And there are buckles for cuffs to be strapped to."

"Yes, one should always be fastened into place when on a plane." Ana says with a laugh and rolls her eyes. "So, do we have enough time to christen this Red Room of Pleasure?" she says in a seductive voice as she runs her hands over Christian's chest. She looks up at him through her lashes as she bites her lip.

Christian runs his hands over Ana's back and down over her hips before cupping her ass to pull her close to him. At the same time, he lowers his mouth and uses his teeth to pull her lip from her teeth. "You know what that does to me, Anastasia."

"Yes, I certainly do." Ana responds. "And just what do you plan to do about it, Sir?"

"I believe a spanking is in order to start. You were rolling your eyes." Christian says in a raspy voice. "But first, I get to peel you out of this dress. I've been waiting patiently all day." Christian turns Ana around and starts to slowly undo each button on the back of her dress. The process is prolonged as he stops to kiss the flesh exposed as each button is released. He smiles as Ana's body reacts with each touch. By the time all the buttons are unfastened, Ana is trembling in anticipation. Christian peels the dress down Ana's body and assists her to step out of the pool of dress on the floor. "I can't say it enough. Anastasia, you look beautiful." He says as he stands back to look her over. Ana feels her entire body blush as Christian's eyes leisurely gaze over her body and his eyes start to glaze over.

"You like?" Ana teases as she strikes a pose in her La Perla lingerie.

"I LOVE!" Christian responds breathlessly as his eyes once again scan Ana's body. She is standing in front of him in a white push up bra and garter belt attached to sheer white stocking and no panties. "I forgot that I never gave you back your panties in the boathouse. Fuck! It probably is a good thing, or I may have embarrassed myself during our goodbyes."

Christian takes Ana by the hand and heads over to the bed. He sits down on the bed with Ana standing in front of him and reaches up to undo the bra and tosses it aside. Christian then reaches out to unfasten the stockings from the garter belt before undoing the belt and tossing it aside with the bra. He fondles her breasts, plucking at her nipples. He grins as Ana's moans. She gasps at the sensations as Christian attaches the clamps to her nipples. He tugs on the chain connecting the two diamond flower clamps and pulls Ana over his lap so that she is laying with her face in the duvet. He lifts one leg over her legs to hold them in place. "Count Mrs. Grey. One for each year of our marriage." He says as he raises his hand to begin the promised spanking.

"One." Ana says as Christian's hand comes in contact with her left cheek. She moans as he caresses the cheek he had just slapped. "Two." She counts as his hand slaps her right cheek before giving a similar caress. Ana continues to count as Christian's hand continues to come in contact with her ass cheeks and upper thighs. As expected, some of the hand contact included fingers touching her sex. By the time she shouts "Nine" she is panting and dripping wet. For the tenth one, Christian purposely aims to hit her sex. As Ana screams "Ten" her body quiveres in an intense orgasm.

As Ana's body calms down after several minutes, Christian leans over and kisses both redden cheeks before sitting Ana up on his lap. "You still have the most gorgeous ass, Ana. And it still turns the prettiest shade of red."

Ana stands up and faces Christian. "Sir, I believe you are overdressed." She says as she reaches to unfasten his grey bow tie. As Christian was wearing a tuxedo, he wasn't wearing _the_ grey tie, but a special ordered bow tie made of the same material. Ana starts to undo the studs on the front of Christian's white dress shirt, stopping to kiss his chest after each one. She smiles as she thinks back that at one time she wasn't able to do such a thing. She looks at Christian and as they stare at each other, blue eyes to grey, she realizes that Christian is having the same thoughts.

"Yes, Ana. I have changed over the years. I thrive for your touch. Never stop touching me." Christian is barely able to say the words. Ana spreads the shirt open to reveal Christian's chest. The burn scars are still visible and she touches her lips to each one. Christian moans with each touch, but Ana knows it is from pleasure and not the fear of being touched.

Ana removes Christian's cuff links – the same ones that had been her wedding gift to him ten years ago. Christian then shrugs out of his jacket and shirt together and tosses them aside. Before he can reach for the button and zipper of his pants, Ana's hands are there unfastening them and pulling them down his legs. Ana bends down to untie his shoes and Christian quickly kicks them off. Ana lifts her hands back up to his chest and pushes him so that he falls onto the bed. She quickly pulls his socks off and falls down on top of her husband. Christian laughs as Ana eagerly straddles him. "Anxious, Baby?" Christian questions in a raspy voice. His eyes are glazing over at the sight of his wife riding him.

Christian reaches up to play with the chain connecting the nipple clamps. He smiles at the sight in front of him – Ana wearing only diamonds and sapphires. Ana continues to ride his cock, raising herself up so that only the tip of his cock is touching her vagina and then slamming back down. Her breasts are bouncing with the motion. Christian groans when Ana raises her hands to lift her breasts and fondle them. When she continues to cup them, Christian pulls himself up into a sitting position removes one of the clamps and replaces it with his mouth, sucking hard. "Oh yes, Christian. That feels so good. Harder!" Ana shouts. Christian smiles as he releases the nipple to repeat the process on the other nipple. Ana puts her hands around the back of Christian's head, grabbing his copper locks to keep his face in her breasts. Christian's hands are on Ana's ass, lifting her up and down his shaft.

"Come for me, Anastasia. Come!" Christian demands in his Dom voice as he continues lifting Ana up and down his cock. He moves one hand so that his thumb starts to massage her clit. Ana starts to scream as she falls over the edge, but continues her actions and her orgasm builds again. After a couple of more thrusts, Christian screams his release which sends Ana over the edge again. Ana lies down on Christian's chest. The two lovers continue to lay in that position until their breathing returns to normal.

Ana raises her head to look at Christian, blue eyes staring into grey. She runs a finger along the stubble on his cheek and jaw. "What do I have to do to make you reveal where we are going?" she asks her husband.

Christian laughs and hugs Ana closer to his chest before flipping them over so that she was beneath him. "You mean we haven't reached Paradise yet?" He rubs his nose against hers before running it across her cheek towards her ear. He nuzzles her earlobe and whispers "The city of romance, of course." As Ana's lips parted to say something, Christian thrust his tongue into her mouth to explore. Ana gave in to the kiss, thrusting her hands into Christian's hair to pull his mouth closer to hers.

Several minutes later, their mouths break apart and both are gasping for air. When she is able to gather her breath, Ana says "Paris?"

Christian smiles and gives a quick kiss on her lips before starting a series of kisses across her cheek. "To start." He says as his lips form a smile against her ear. Ana shivers at the sound of his laughter in her ear.

She turns her head so that she can look him in the eye. "To start? And just where else are you taking me?"

Christian smirks. "Patience, Mrs. Grey. Just enjoy each day."

"I know you, Mr. Grey." Ana says. "You never do anything spontaneous. You will have everything planned out to the minute." Ana realizes it is pointless to get any further information out of her husband. "_But it will be fun trying."_ She tells herself.

Christian gets up off the bed, pulling Ana up with him. "Come Mrs. Grey. We have a shower to christen." He takes her by the hand to the ensuite bathroom. Ana gasps at the opulence of the bathroom. The red and grey color scheme continued into the bathroom. Although compact, the bathroom contains full size toilet and vanity as well as a shower large enough to hold two adults. "There is another full bathroom in the outer area as well." Christian tells her.

After they have sex in the shower and thoroughly wash one another, Christian leads Ana back to the bedroom. He pulls back the duvet and they climb in, spooning in their usual fashion. "I've had a wonderful day, Christian. Thank you for everything. The children seemed to enjoy themselves as well." Ana tells her husband as she stifles a yawn. She snuggles closer to him and smiles as she feels his semi-hard cock brush against her ass.

Christian wraps his arms around Ana to pull her closer to him. He gives her a soft kiss by her ear. "I miss them already too, Anastasia." They are both soon asleep.

When the plane lands in Paris, a limousine and an SUV are waiting on the tarmac. Christian, Ana and their security detail leave in the limousine, while the driver of the SUV waits for the flight crew to be ready to travel to their hotel.

As soon as they settle into their suite at the Hotel George V, Christian pulls out his ipad so that they can do a skype call with the children back in Seattle. The children were excited to talk to their parents and assured them that they were behaving themselves for their grandparents. When the call ended, Christian could see that Ana was fighting to hold back tears. He admitted to himself that he was on the verge of tears himself. This was the longest that both he and Ana would be away from all of the children.

"Come, Mrs. Grey. We are both suffering from jet lag. Let's take a nap and then we can go explore the city." Christian says to Ana as he takes her by the hand and leads her to the bedroom. In the bedroom, they both undress and crawl into bed and go into their usual sleep formation.

Ana puts her arms on Christian's arms that are wrapped around her body. "What no kinky fuckery, or even vanilla, Sir?" she says with a smile while trying to stifle a yawn.

"Laters, Baby." Christian chuckles. "You exhausted me on the plane." He plants a kiss in her hair. "Need to rest up for the rest of our trip."

The lovers spend the next few days with the same routine: making love well into the night, with and without kinky fuckery, and the days exploring the city of Paris. Each morning, they talked to the children via Skype. With the difference in time zones, it was early evening the previous night in Seattle, so the children were able to update their parents on their day. The younger children were confused about the time zones and thought their parents were talking to them from the future.

Each afternoon, Christian took Ana to a different fashion designer to try on a variety of evening gowns and other clothing.

"Christian! There isn't much sense in buying too many dresses. My baby bump is already showing and it's impossible to know just how larger I will get." Ana tells Christian during one of the shopping stops.

"But I've always loved buying you clothes, Anastasia." Christian replies with a pout. "The seamstress can always fly to Seattle to make adjustments as you expand."

Ana rolls her eyes before saying "Just like that? You snap your fingers and a seamstress will jump on a plane in Paris France to fly to Seattle Washington to make alterations to a dress that already costs a small fortune?"

"I saw that eye roll, Anastasia." Christian says with a gleam in his eyes. "Of course I do. I can afford it. I just want you to feel comfortable in whatever you wear."

"Stow your twitching palm, Christian." Ana says with a laugh. "Comfortable? You mean I can wear sweats and one of your t-shirts to the next gala? Now that would set a fashion trend." Ana whispers into Christian ear. "All this modeling of clothes for you has made me horny. Take me back to our suite and fuck me hard, Sir." She laughs as Christian quickly pays the bill for the clothes already set aside, giving instructions where they were to be delivered, and ushers her out to the door. Christian glares at the doorman as they had to wait while the doorman flags down a taxi for them as well as a second taxi for Sawyer and Reynolds.


	45. Chapter 45

A week later, Ana and Christian are packing their luggage in preparation of leaving Paris for their next destination. Christian still refuses to tell Ana where they are going.

"Are you sure we have enough suitcases?" Christian asks with a smirk. "How many more did we have to buy?" He enjoys teasing Ana about her shopping sprees at the Paris shops, but he loves the fact that she is finally comfortable at spending their money. Once Teddy was born, she was willing to spend money on him, and his siblings as they came along, but was still always reluctant to spend money on herself.

"Live with it Grey." Ana tells her husband. "You're always encouraging me to spend _our_ money, so don't give me a hard time about the consequences." Ana smiles seductively as she steps into her husband's arms and runs her fingers along his jaw. "You wouldn't want me to visit Paris without stocking up on French lingerie, now would you Sir?" she says before running her tongue over Christian's lips. When Christian starts to open his mouth to respond, she thrusts her tongue past his lips to explore his mouth. Christian groans and pulls Ana tight against his body as he runs his hands over her body.

Several minutes later, they break apart, both gasping for air. "That was a given, Mrs. Grey." Christian says once he can speak. "And all the evening gowns and other clothing as well. I don't care if we have to put another addition onto the house to house all of your clothing. I just love the fact that you are so eager to shop for yourself."

"Well, my body is expanding again, so I did need to stock up on maternity clothing again. I don't know why I keep giving away the mat clothes after each birth. You get me pregnant every couple of years, so I should just keep them." Ana looks at Christian with a twinkle in her eye. "Maybe we should do some renovations to give me a closet for maternity clothes and one for regular clothes."

There was a knock on the door to their suite. Christian goes to answer the door and lets the Bell Captain into the suite. Sawyer and Reynolds are behind the Bell Captain to supervise the transportation of the Grey luggage to the limousine waiting to transport them to the airport. Reynolds follows the Bell Captain with the luggage while Sawyer stays with Christian and Ana.

Ana sees the eye exchange between Christian and Sawyer and lifts an eyebrow to Christian. Christian's only response is to give Ana a hug and tell her "Patience, Mrs. Grey. And don't roll your eyes at me!"

They walk out of the suite hand in hand with Sawyer behind them. When they step into the elevator and the doors close behind them, they smile at one another remembering their encounter a couple of evenings earlier when the elevator was crowded and Christian finger fucked Ana at the back of the crowd.

Once they arrived at the airport, the limousine delivered them to their plane awaiting them on the tarmac. "Welcome back, Mr. and Mrs. Grey." Sylvia said as she greeted them as they walked aboard the plane. "We should be ready to take off in about fifteen minutes."

"Thank you, Sylvia." Ana replied. "Did you enjoy yourself in Paris? I believe you had started to tell me that you had never been before."

"Yes. It is a beautiful city. I hope to return some day." Sylvia said.

As they settle into their seats, Sylvia offers them refreshments and serves them before serving Reynolds and Sawyer.

As she sips at her champagne, Ana turns to Christian. "Do we have time to skype the children before takeoff? We didn't get a chance to last night or this morning. They'll be worrying what happened to us." Ana says as she bites her bottom lip.

Christian smiles before lowering his mouth to her to use his teeth to pull Ana's lip away from her teeth. "You know what that still does to me, Anastasia. Even after all these years." Ana giggles. "That too, Mrs. Grey."

"Well, I might as well go for the tri-facta." Ana says as she rolls her eyes. She giggles again when she hears Christian groan.

"My palm is getting very very twitchy." Christian says. "And no, unfortunately there isn't time to skype the children before take-off. It wouldn't be safe as it might interfere with the flight preparations." At Ana's look of disappointment, he smiles and says "Once we get settled at our next destination, we'll contact the children." He laughs at Ana's over dramatic sigh.

Christian's laughter turns to moans when Ana's hand started stroking his cock through his pants. Ana smiled serenely as she felt him hardened beneath his touch. "Two can play that game, Mrs. Grey." Christian whispers with a raspy voice. His hand reaches over to stroke Ana's knee before slowly inching up under her skirt. Ana smirks at him as he gives a slight gasp when his hand reaches up to her sex and realizes she is not wear any panties.

They continue to tease one another during the take-off. As soon as the announcement is made that they were free to move about the cabin, Christian quickly releases their seatbelts and rushes Ana to the bedroom at the back of the plane. "I need to fuck you hard, Anastasia." Christian says in his dom voice as he shuts to door to the bedroom. "We don't have much time. It is a short flight." As he is talking, he is pushing Ana against the closed door. She is wrestling with the button and zipper of his jeans. Christian releases his hold on Ana's body to pull his jeans and boxers down around his ankles. He lifts Ana up and she wraps her legs around his waist. Ana gasps as Christian pulls her down on his cock. "As usual, you are ready for me!" Christian says as he pumps his cock in and out of Ana as he balances her around his waist. "Come for me Baby!" he shouts as he feels Ana's body start to build to her climax.

Ana's hands fasten themselves in Christian's hair as she buries her face in his neck. "Yes! Yes!" she shouts. "Fuck me hard, Christian!" she yells. "Oh! Oh! Yes! Yes!" she screams as she falls over the edge.

Christian continues pumping in and out of her as she rides the waves of her orgasm. Before she calms down completely, he can feel her building again. "Yes! Oh Yes! Ana! You feel so good!" he shouts as his orgasm builds and they both coming crashing down together. Ana continues to stay with her legs wrapped around Christian's waist as they both try to get their breathing back under control. "I. Love. You. Anastasia" Christian says as he kisses her on her throat between each word.

"I love you too, Christian." Ana says breathlessly. She smiles and adds "Even though you still refuse to tell me where we are going."

Christian smiles as he looks at his wife. "You haven't figured it out yet? Where did I take you on your honeymoon ten years ago?"

Christian laughs as Ana's facial expression reflects that the details have finally sunk in. "London, Paris and then a yacht on the Mediterranean." Ana says. "I take it that we are heading to a port in the Mediterranean?" Christian nods his head with a big grin on his face. "But we didn't go to London?" Ana questions.

"Now that Grey Publishing is in the process of opening an office in London, I thought we would by-pass the city on this trip. Knowing you, you would want to spend some time on business and I wanted you all to myself this trip." Christian tells her.

"Oh, like _Mister_ CEO didn't spend time on business while we were in Paris!" Ana says, trying to look angry, but her giggle gave her away.

Christian looks sheepish. "I did try to keep it to a minimum. But there were a few things I needed to touch base on with the office." He looked at Ana and added "And I do believe you made some calls to Hannah as well."

Ana strokes her hand across Christian's chest. "So can I sunbathe topless this time without you going thermonuclear on me?" she asks.

"NO!" Christian shouts. He tries to calm himself down before adding. "Your naked body is still for my eyes only. But I hope that I won't extract the same punishment ever again." He vows as he lifts Ana's hands up to his lips to kiss her wrists. His eyes look sorrowful as he remembers the bruises on her wrists from the metal handcuffs he used as part of her punishment.

"I'm sure you won't, Baby." Ana assures him. "_My Fifty has come such a long way in ten years."_ Ana tells herself. "_But don't push it."_ Her subconscious tells her.

"We better get ourselves presentable and go back out in the main cabin. We should soon be landing." Christian says. "In Cannes." He adds in response to Ana's eyebrow lift.

When they disembark from the plane, a black SUV is waiting to transport Christian, Ana, Sawyer and Reynolds to the pier to board the yacht that Christian has rented.

"Oh my God!" Ana exclaims when she sees the yacht. "It is even bigger than the one we had ten years ago!"

Christian chuckles. "Well, I can afford a bigger one now. I want only the best for you Mrs. Grey."

Ana laughs at the thought that Christian would not have been able to afford a yacht this size ten years ago. "Does it have wi-fi? I really want to skype the children. We haven't done it for a couple of days and I had promised them that we would do it every day."

"Yes, we are such bad parents." Christian laments. He pulls Ana into his arms for a deep kiss. "Don't worry Mrs. Grey, we'll be able to contact our spawn as soon as we get settled."

As they board the yacht, they are greeted by a tall, dark haired Greek man. "Welcome aboard Mr. and Mrs. Grey. I am Niko, your steward for your time aboard _The Olympia_. If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the main salon where you can relax with a drink while the staff get your luggage put away in your stateroom."

Christian puts his hand on Ana's back to direct her to follow Niko. They trio stop in front of a double set of doors. Niko puts his hands on both door knobs and flings open the doors with great flair.

Ana gasps at the sight in front of her. She turns to Christian and sees him beaming his big mega-watt, panty melting smile. "Happy Anniversary Anastasia!" he says. He laughs as Ana wraps her arms around him, bringing his mouth down to hers for a deep kiss. Christian bends Ana backwards from her waist in a theatrical kiss.

Several minutes later, Christian stands Ana upright and they are both breathless. It takes Ana a few seconds to refocus and she turns to look again into the salon. Her eyes were not deceiving her.

As Ana rushes into the room with open arms, she is met half-way by her brood of children. "We missed you Mommy!" they all shout as they join together for a group hug. "Daddy too!" Christiana adds.

"We both missed you all too." Christian says. He smiles as Ana is still speechless as she continues to hug each of the children. Christian turns to his parents. "Thank you Mom and Dad for escorting the children here." He shakes hands with his father before enveloping his mother in his arms for a hug. "This is the longest we've been away from the children and both Ana and I were going through withdrawal." At the smirk on his father's face, Christian added "Yes, even though we have been on our second honeymoon, we did think of other things besides the obvious."

Ana untangles herself from the children and joins Christian and his parents. She hugs Carrick and Grace before thanking them for bringing the children to them.

Grace smiles and says "Christian had this all arranged when he made plans for your European trip. One of the reasons he bought a plane for Grey Publishing was so that the GEH plane would be available for us to travel with the children." Grace kisses Christian's cheek and adds "Now that we have delivered our adorable grandchildren to you, Carrick and I are travelling on to Rome and then Paris." Grace smiles at Carrick "It's been years since we've travelled to Europe. It will be nice to revisit two of our favorite cities."

Ana wraps her arm around Christian and caresses his cheek with her other hand. "I love you, Christian. You always know the right thing to do." She pouts as she adds "But you didn't need to have me worrying about don't having contacted the children for the past couple of days."

Christian finger runs over Ana's pouting lips. "Baby, how could I have had you skype the children while they were travelling. I wanted to surprise you with them joining us to cruise the Mediterranean."

"Oh, you did surprise me." Ana said. She reaches up to kiss Christian on the cheek and whispers in his ear "You'll do anything to prevent me from sunbathing topless." Christian bursts out laughing but does not explain the reason to his parents, despite their questioning looks.


	46. Chapter 46

_A/N: Apologies for the delay in updates. Personal life got in the way by going on vacation with my loving hubby (my own personal Christian Grey). Thank you to those who sent messages asking about the lack of updates._

"Thanks for being willing to make those last minute changes to the plans for the house addition." Christian tells Elliott. Christian flashes his mega-watt smile before adding "Even though you made me pay through the nose for the changes. The finished project looks fantastic. I hope Grandma Margaret will feel comfortable when she moves into her new apartment tomorrow. "

Christian and Elliott are lounging poolside, supervising their older children in the pool, while their wives are out shopping. Kate had insisted Ana needed to help her shop for new maternity clothes. The younger children are having their afternoon naps. It is the first opportunity the extended family has had a chance to get together since Christian, Ana and the children returned from Europe.

"Like you couldn't afford it, Bro." Elliott tosses back to him. "We had already broken ground before you asked for the changes. Granted, the changes didn't make any alteration to the footprint, but the architect had to be on board and the legalities with the municipality." Elliott flashes a smile and says "The Elliott Grey charm can only work so much. And when I tried to toss your name around, the cash register started cha-cha-ing away in the clerk's mind."

"The important thing is that you were able to make the changes without a great impact on what Ana had already had drawn up as my birthday present." Christian says as he takes a sip of his beer. "Not that she would have objected, as the change was for a good cause. Turning one of the new guestrooms into a mini-suite will give Andrew more privacy as he acclimatizes to life with the Greys."

"How is Andrew doing?" Elliott asks. "You mentioned earlier that he should be released from the hospital in the next day or so? It was great that you were able to get him transferred last month from Portland to Seattle. He seems like a great kid." Elliott shakes his head. "If you hadn't already told me about his parents before I met him for the first time, I would have thought that he was your son."

"I know. Before I read the paternity test results and then the manuscript Ana received from Amber's lawyer, I was sure he was my son." Christian tells his brother. "I have to admit, part of me was disappointed. But another part of me was relieved because the thought of not having been part of my son's life was tearing me apart." Christian then adds "Plus the fact that I had always been prideful that I ensured I practiced safe sex. If it failed once with Amber, how many other children might I have running around in the world?"

Elliott smirks. "Don't you think that if any of your past legions of women had found themselves pregnant, you would have been one of the first to have heard? After the lawyers, of course." Elliott shakes his head. "I still can't believe that all those years when people suspected you were gay because you were never seen with women, you were busy fucking a steady string of women."

"Yeah, well. That's in my past. And it's not one that I'm extremely proud of. But, unlike you, I didn't have a 'legion' of women. " Christian says. "Although I guess my experiences did get me well practiced to keep up with Ana after I unleashed her wanton nature." He adds with a smirk. Christian laughs when Elliott spews out his beer.

After Elliott mops up the beer he spit out, he says "I guess the two of you were meant for each other. You certainly changed for the better since Ana came into your life. And Kate has told me how inhibited Ana used to be before she met you."

"Well, I'm glad I was the one that got the pleasure of allowing her to be more uninhibited. There were certainly enough males stiffing around wanting into her panties and eye-fucking her when I met her." Christian growls.

"Oh relax, Bro. One of those males has been our brother-in-law for several years now and another is a good family friend, documenting your growing family in pictures every year." Elliott reprimands his brother.

"Daddy!" Christiana yells. "Watch me! I can swim from one side of the pool to the other."

"That's fantastic Christiana." Christian calls to her as he walks to the side of the pool with his phone in his hand. "Why don't you show me and I'll record it to show Mommy."

After Christiana crosses the pool, the turns towards her father and waves to the camera. "See Mommy! I can swim all on my own." A second later she screams "TEDDY!" and starts crying as she is splashed by the water as her brother jumps into the pool a few feet away from her.

"Teddy! What have you been told about splashing people?" Christian yells at his son.

"Sorry Christiana. Sorry Dad. I hadn't seen her when I jumped." Teddy replies. Teddy swims over to his sister and tries to comfort her. Within seconds she is all smiles and offering to show off her swimming skills to her brother.

"Just be careful in the future Ted." Christian says. "And if you're going to jump into the pool, be sure you're at the deepest spot. You were too close to the shallow end."

"I don't believe it." Elliott exclaims as Christian returns to his lounger. "Mr. Safety Freak didn't go thermonuclear with his son jumping into the pool. Or even after his little girl got traumatized with the splash!"

"Fuck off, Lelliott." Christian responds with a smile. "Why don't we show them how it's done?" Christian jumps up and runs to the deep end. "Race you!" Elliott is right behind him but waits until Christian surfaces before jumping in purposely splashing Christian with as much force as possible. The two brother start a splashing war, much to the delight of their children who join in. The adults move their play into the shallow end and start picking up the children to drop them back into the pool.

"Mommy! Wanna play with Daddy!" Lucas and Jason yell together as they walk out to the pool area, tugging at Ana's hands, trying to break her hold on them. Kate is carrying Elliott Junior in her arms. Ana manages to keep her grip on her sons until they are at pool side and Christian swims over to greet them.

Flashing his mega-watt smile at Ana, Christian hoists himself out of the water. Ana's eyes glaze over at the sight of the water running down her husband's body. She licks her lips as she lifts her eyes to her husband. "I wanna play with Daddy too." Ana whispers to Christian as he leans down to give her a quick kiss on her lips.

With a smirk, Christian steps back and takes both young sons by the hand and walks over to the steps leading into the shallow end. Once in the water, both Lucas and Jason start trying to tread water while their water wings keep them afloat. Christian laughs as he picks Jason up out of the water and lowers him back down. Before Christian is able to do the same with Lucas, Ana is in the water with them and lifting Lucas out of the water before lowering him back down. Christian and Ana laugh at the antics of their youngest sons. Ana smiles to herself when she sees that Elliott and Kate are doing similar with Elliott Junior. And the other children continue playing in the pool around them.

"This is a delightful sight to see." Grace calls out as she, Carrick and Margaret walk out to the pool area.

"Grandmas, Grandpa! Come in the pool." Carrick Junior calls out.

"Hello dear. No I think we will just sit here and enjoy watching our family play." Grace calls out. "It's such a beautiful sunny day, I want to soak up some sun."

"Okay, Grandma Grace. But you're missing lots of fun." Carrick Junior calls back. "Be sure to put on lots of sunblock." His attention is quickly deverted back to the horseplay when Christiana splashes him.

A short time later, Mia arrives with Ethan and their children. "Hi everyone!" Mia calls out. "We're here now, let the party begin." The children are already in the bathing suits. Grace and Michael quickly run to join their cousins in the pool. Ethan and Mia manage to grab hold of Bella and Edward to put water wings on them. Ethan removes his t-shirt and takes Edward by the hand to walk to the steps of the pool. Mia quickly removes her t-shirt and shorts to reveal her bikini and takes Bella into the pool.

A short time later, the women leave the pool, while their husbands continue playing with the children.

"How are the little Mommas?" Margaret asks Ana and Kate when the women join the others on lounge chairs by the pool.

Kate looks down at her small baby bump exposed by her bikini. "I'm not too bad. But I'm starting to outgrow my clothes, so I dragged Ana off earlier for a shopping trip for maternity clothes."

Ana giggles. "Like you've ever needed an excuse for shopping, Grey."

"Yea, that's true, Steele-Grey." Kate says with a laugh. "But at least now you can keep up with me, almost. I can't believe all the stuff you brought back from Europe."

"Most of my purchases were souvenirs and things for the children." Ana counters. "Christian was the one that bought the designer clothes for me."

"Which one of you bought the lingerie?" Kate asks with a smirk. She laughs when Ana blushes.

"Margaret, are you excited to see your new apartment?" Ana asks.

"Yes I am." Margaret answers. "But right now I'm enjoying watching everyone having so much fun in the pool." She smiles at Ana. "Grace had told me a lot about Christian's pre-Ana life and how he couldn't tolerate anyone touching him. And look at him now – he thrives on holding his children to his chest." She says as she sees Christian holding his youngest twins in his arms as he bounces up and down with them in the water.

As if he senses that he is the topic of discussion, Christian looks over at the adults sitting pool side and flashes Ana one of his mega-watt, panty melting smile. He laughs out loud when he sees, even at the distance, Ana blushing. Christian strides across the pool and climbs up the steps, still holding his sons in his arms. He walks them over to a fenced off grassed area and leaves them playing before joining Ana. Ana shifts forward on her lounger and Christian slips in behind her, pulling her back against his chest.

Elliott and Ethan also leave the pool, taking their youngest children to the play area to join Jason and Lucas. "Kate, did you pick up the items I asked you to get?" Elliott calls to Kate.

"Yes, I did. I left them in the foyer with my other purchases." Kate responds. Elliott smirks when he sees that Christian is whispering in Ana's ear and she is blushing. Elliott motions to Ethan to follow him.

A few minutes later Elliott and Ethan return to the pool area with smiles on their faces and their hands behind their back. Christian is laying back on the lounger with his eyes closed, content with Ana lying against him. He opens his eyes when he is aware of Ana quickly moving off the lounger. "WHAT THE FUCK!" he shouts as he is bombarded with streams of water from the large super soaker water guns Elliott and Ethan are aiming at him.

"Here Boss." Taylor says as he tosses an oversized water gun to Christian. Christian beams a smile as he deftly catches the gun and aims it full force at Elliott. The force of the water from the gun pushes Elliott into the pool.

When Elliott's head remerges above the water, he is spewing water from his mouth. He swims over to the edge of the pool where Christian is standing with an arm out to pull him out. Elliott takes Christian's hand and pulls Christian into the pool. As Christian goes under the water, he pulls Elliott down with him. "Truce." Elliott says when they both come up for air.

As they climb out of the water, they are greeted by their mother who is tapping her sandaled foot on the pool surround. "Just what are you two _boys_ think you are doing with all this horseplay? You are both old enough to know better. I thought your father and I had raised you better. Neither one of you are setting a very good example for your children." Both Christian and Elliott hang their heads. It has been a number of years since either one of them were reprimanded by their mother.

Christian looks up at his mother with a pout. "Elliott started it. I was enjoying a quiet time with my wife when I got bombarded with water. Fortunately Taylor had my back and was able to quickly supply me with a loaded water gun." Christian's eyes narrow as he turns to Taylor who is standing off to the side keeping an eye on the toddlers playing on the grass. "Wait a minute…. Jason! Where did you get that oversized super soaker? And how did you know to bring it down here just at that point in time?"

Jason does his best to keep his poker face, but Christian sees the brief glance his eyes made to Ana before his security guard training kicked in. Christian smiles as he turns to Ana who has quickly moved over to check on the toddlers. "Anastasia. Do you have something to tell me?"

Ana is kneeling to be closer to the children's level. She turns and looks up innocently through her lashes at Christian. "Who me, Mr. Grey?" she questions softly before biting her lip. She giggles when she hears Christian moan. She knows full well what her actions are doing to her husband.

"Yes you, Mrs. Grey." Christian responds in his lower Dom voice. "Did you give Jason that water gun?"

Ana stands up and walks over to Christian to put her arms around his waist. He instinctively puts his arms around her and she leans back to look him in the eye. "No, I didn't give _Jason_ the water gun." Ana runs her hands over the hair on Christian's bare chest. Her eyes start to glaze over at the sensation. She smiles when she looks into Christian's eyes and sees that his eyes are glazing over as well. She grinds her pelvis closer to him and gasps as she feels his cock instantly harden. She tries to pull back, but Christian's arms keep her close to his body.

Christian smirks as he whispers "You were saying?"

"Umm…" Ana stammers breathlessly. She links her arms around Christian's neck and looks him in the eye. "I bought it today and left it with Gail." She bites her lip before she adds "I did tell her that if she saw Kate or Elliott take the super soakers that Kate bought today, she was to give Jason the one I bought and come to your rescue."

Christian looks past Ana and glares at Kate. "Katherine Kavanaugh Grey! What possessed you to buy your infantile husband and brother such 'toys'? You know my feelings about guns."

"They're not real guns, or even look like real guns." Kate says, still trying to control her laughter. "Relax, Mr. ControlFreak. You seemed to have fun getting revenge."

Christian grins as he admits "Yea, you're right. It was fun getting revenge on Elliott. We could never play like this when we were kids because of my anger and touching issues, so I guess we need to make up for lost time."

Grace is still wiping tears of laughter from her face. "Yes, Christian. It is a delight seeing you act like this with your brother." Grace looks at Ana and smiles. "I thank the gods every day for bringing Ana into your life. She enticed you out of your cold ivory tower, enabling you to see the light."

Christian removes his arms from around Ana and walks over to Grace. He leans down and kisses her on her cheek. "I'm sorry I was the cause of so much concern over the years."

"Yes, I blame you for all of the white hair I have." Grace says with a smile.

"Hey. You can't blame me for all of them. I'm sure Elliott contributed a lot and probably even Mia." Christian says with a smirk.

"Hey! Don't drag me into this!" Mia exclaims.

The adults are distracting from their bantering by Teddy's shouts of "PHOEBE!" and then "AVA!" Phoebe and Ava had gotten out of the pool and picked up the super soakers abandoned by Elliott and Ethan and are aiming them at Teddy who was still in the pool. Teddy swims over to the ladder and quickly climbs out of the pool. He grabs the soaker abandoned by his father and starts to chase after the girls who were running to the house. He soon runs out of water and returns to the pool area with a defeated look on his face. He plops down on a nearby chair and pouts.

"My, he looks just like his father, doesn't he?" Margaret says with a laugh.

"Yes, he does." Ana says with a giggle. She walks over to Teddy and kneels down to talk to him. She soon has him in smiles and he gets up and heads back to the pool.

A few minutes later, Ava and Phoebe return hesitantly to the pool area, but stop by the fence. "Mrs. Taylor says that lunch is ready." Phoebe announces. "She will be setting everything up on the patio."

Carrick assists Margaret and Grace out of their chairs and they start heading up to the house. The other adults call their children out of the pool. Ana takes Jason and Lucas by the hand and Kate picks up Elliott Junior and everyone heads up to the house, with the older children running ahead of the adults.


	47. Chapter 47

After the children have cleared away the remnants of lunch back to the kitchen, the adults are sitting relaxing on patio chairs and loungers. Pictures of the European vacations are being passed around. Christian and Ana are telling stories about their adventures with their children cruising around the Mediterranean.

Grace laughs as she tells the others how excited the children were when they found out that they were going to joining their parents in Europe. To be on the safe side and not spoil the surprise for Ana, none of the children were told until they were heading to the airport to board the GEH jet. "I don't know if they were more excited about travelling on the private jet, seeing Europe or seeing their parents." Grace says.

Ana giggles as she says "I'm sure Christiana was excited to see her precious Daddy."

"Of course." Christian replies. Ana rolls her eyes at his confidence.

Carrick laughs. "Phoebe spent the first part of the flight walking around the jet and making comments about what she would want or not want when she is CEO of Grey Holdings."

Ana laughs. "She did the same on the new GP jet on the way home."

"That's my Phoebe." Christian says proudly. The adults laugh when he adds "I guess I better start watching my back."

"The children liked the sleeping room on the GP jet." Ana says. She looks at Christian and smiles. "Thank you, Christian."

"Well, Grandmother." Christian says to Margaret. "Are you ready for the grand reveal of your new apartment."

"Yes, Christian. I am." She replies. "I thought you were never going to offer." She says with a smile.

Christian assists Margaret out of her chair and takes her by hand and leads her to a door on the other side of the patio. "The addition is connected to the house by a closed in breezeway so that you have the privacy of an exterior entrance but at the same time connected to the house. And there is a stairway up to the suites as well from the breezeway, but also connected to the hallway upstairs.

Christian stops in front of the interior door and hands Margaret a key. She can barely contain her excitement as she takes the key from Christian and puts it into the lock. She opens the door and gasps. "Oh my gawd!" she exclaims. Christian and Ana are standing behind with their arms around each other beaming.

"I think she likes it." Ana says to Christian.

"I think you're right." Christian replies. "Come, Grandmother. Let me show you everything." Christian is like a child on Christmas morning as he points out various things in the apartment. "There is a fully functioning kitchenette, but please feel free to join us in the main house for meals." He grins as he adds "If you can stand the noise of six children."

"We've moved everything in that you wanted from your Detroit apartment. But let us know if you want things moved around." Ana says. "And if you need anything more. I've picked up some things for you, but wasn't sure of just what you may need or want."

"Thank you, Ana." Margaret says. "Everything looks very homey. I can't think of needing anything else, but I'll keep your offer in mind." She turns around to view everything in the main living area and gasps when she sees the fireplace. "Oh my!" she exclaims as she is unable to keep the tears from flowing down her face. Above the fireplace is an enlargement of the picture of Bobby with Ella who is holding their new born son, Christian.

Margaret hugs Ana and then Christian. "You have both been so generous to me. I'm sure I will be quite content living here." She continues to look around the apartment in amazement. "I know you were having guest suites upstairs, but the addition is so large. What else do you have on the ground level?"

"I wanted a studio to do yoga, rather than trying to do it in the basement gym or elsewhere in the house. And it will also double as a dance studio for Phoebe and Christiana to practice ballet." Ana tells her. "Although we had Elliott include a basement, at this point in time we don't have it assigned to any specific function other than one area being sectioned off as a larger wine cellar than we currently have." Ana's eyes sparkle as she looks at Christian and smiles as she says "Maybe when the kids become teenagers, we'll turn it into a party room. It has been sound proofed, so you shouldn't be disturbed by any noise."

As she is talking, Ana is finding it difficult to be coherent as Christian is running his hand over Ana's hip and ass. She is still in her bathing suit, having pulled on a cover-up for lunch. She knows he is teasing her as they had many discussions as to whether to install a playroom for themselves at the house rather than having to go to Escala whenever they wanted to play. Both were tempted to install such a room, especially now that Elliott is aware of their lifestyle. But they both, reluctantly, agreed that it was better to keep their playroom away from their children.

"Well, you both have seemed to think of everything. I can't wait to actually move in and start living here." Margaret says. "When will Andrew be arriving? I'm looking forward to meeting him."

Christian's hand has moved up to caress Ana's back as they continue talking to Margaret. "He should be released from the hospital within the next couple of days. When he is released, he will be coming here. Ana has furnished his quarters upstairs, but there is room to accommodate any of his personal belongings he may have. Anything he would have would likely be at Elena's house in Portland and I'm not sure what the status of that is since Elena has been in jail for the past couple of months. But I'm sure we would have the co-operation of the police to enter the house."

"I will do what I can to make him welcome and get settled in. The poor dear has been through so much the past few years." Margaret says.

Ana rubs Christian's back as she says "Yes, he has. We want to do whatever we can for him. It will be a very difficult time for him during the next few months until the trial is over and that woman is finally brought to justice." Her eyes take on a harden glare as she adds "It will be about time that the Bitch Troll goes down for all her past sins."

Margaret's lips twitch in a smile. "Don't hold back, Ana. Tell us what you think."

The next morning, Margaret is sitting at the dining room table enjoying breakfast with the older children when Christian and Ana walk in with Jason and Lucas.

"How did your first night go in your apartment, Margaret?" Ana asks as she helps Lucas into his booster seat.

"It was great. I slept like a log." Margaret responds. "I hope it's okay that I came here for breakfast."

"Of course, Grandmother." Christian quickly replies as he helps Jason into his booster seat. "I told you to feel free to join us for meals and I don't say what I don't mean. Just because there is a kitchenette in your apartment, doesn't mean that we expected you to have to use it. It's there for convenience."

Just as Christian is about to sit down himself, his phone vibrates to indicate a call. "Excuse me." He says as he turns to leave the dining room to answer the phone. A few minutes later he returns and takes his seat at the table. He smiles as he looks at Ana. "Great news. Andrew's doctors have given their approval for his release. We can bring him home late this morning."

"I'm going to have a big brother?" Teddy asks. "Does he play baseball?"

Ana looks around the table at all of the children. "I don't know about Andrew's baseball skills, but yes, you are all getting a big brother."

Christiana has a confused look on her face and looks at her mother. "I thought we were getting a baby brother or sister in February."

Ana runs her hand over her stomach and smiles. "Yes, dear you are. The person who is arriving today is Andrew. Do you remember Daddy and I telling you all about him a few weeks ago?" Christiana nods. "Andrew is a teenager and his Mother died several months ago. His Father had died several years ago, so Andrew is all alone. He isn't old enough, legally, to live alone. Your Father knew Andrew's Mother many years ago and we have offered to serve as Andrew's parents."

It is obvious that Christiana is still trying to understand the information. Christian says "It always take a long time for legal things to happen. So your Mother and I will be viewed as Andrew's foster parents and be there to support him while he matures to adulthood."

Ana smiles as she looks around the table at her children. "We hope that you will welcome Andrew into the family as well as you have welcomed Grandma Margaret." All the children are quick to assure their mother that they will. Ana looks at Christian and sees that he is beaming his mega-watt smile.

"We realize there's been several changes the past few days." Christian says. "Now that the addition is finished on the house, Grandma Margaret was able move in yesterday and Andrew will be doing so today when he is released from the hospital. And with the guest rooms being relocated to the new wing, most of you have your own bedrooms. Teddy and Phoebe have already relocated to the former guest rooms, which mean that Carrick and Christiana are no longer sharing with their older siblings. Jason and Lucas will continue sharing a room, but they are young. And as twins, they may choose to continue to share well into their teens."

"What about Lucky?" Carrick asks.

Ana smiles as she runs her hand over her baby bump. "Lucky will be in the nursery for a few years." She looks at Christian through her lashes and continues "And maybe by the time Lucky outgrows the need for a nursery, we may be able to turn that room into a regular bedroom."

"You mean Lucky will be your last baby?" Phoebe asks.

Ana smiles serenely and looks at Christian. "I haven't decided yet." She giggles and Margaret laughs when Christian starts to choke on his coffee.

"_You_ haven't decided?" Christian asks. Ana just smiles serenely at her beloved husband.

Ana and Christian stroll into the hospital hand in hand and head to Andrew's room, followed by Taylor. Sawyer was driving and would return when Andrew was able to leave the hospital. When they enter Andrew's room, they find him sitting on a chair, dressed. He is playing a game on the ipad that they had given Andrew when he had started recuperating enough to be able to sit up in bed. They had it personally engraved with

Welcome to the Grey Family

July 2021

Andrew sets the tablet aside and smiles at the arrivals. Christian and Ana smile back.

"Are you ready to come home with us?" Ana asks.

"You bet." Andrew replies. "The nurse said that the doctor should be by shortly to sign the release papers and then we have to wait for an orderly to arrive with a wheelchair."

Ana looks around the room to ensure that Andrew has everything gathered up. "The kids are anxious to show you around Grey Manor. Teddy is hoping that you play baseball. He loves to play catch."

"Yes I do. And I look forward to doing that. Is your backyard big enough, or is there a park nearby?" Andrew asks.

"Oh, our backyard is big enough." Christian laughs. "Don't let the children run you ragged. You've been hospitalized for several weeks, so it will likely take you awhile to get back up to your normal energy level. If any of the children get too much for you, just let them know. We've tried to warn them that you are still recuperating, but they will likely forget in the excitement of having a new playmate."

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Grey." Dr. Westgate says as she walks into the room. "Are you ready to take this fine gentleman home today?" she asks as she smiles at Andrew.

"Yes we are." Christian says. "Are there any special instructions we need to know about?"

"No. Andrew seems to have made a complete recovery. Of course, if he experiences any problems or pain, don't hesitate to bring him back to the hospital." Dr. Westgate replies. She signs the form and hands the paper to Christian to sign as Andrew's legal guardian. "That should be it. I've already put in a request for an orderly to come with a wheelchair, so you should be ready to go shortly." She shakes hands with everyone. "Please give my regards to Dr. Trevelyan. I don't see her around the hospital very much anymore since she starting cutting back on her hours."

"Well do." Christian says.

Ten minutes later, there is still no sign of the orderly or wheelchair. Ana can tell that Christian is getting frustrated with the delay. So far, she has managed to keep him distracted by telling Andrew stories of the various children and their cousins.

"Where the fuck is that orderly?" Christian questions. "Does this hospital only have one wheelchair? What the fuck do they do with all the funds we have donated over the years." He runs his hands through his hair. "And don't roll your eyes at me Anastasia. People have better things to do than sit and wait for a wheelchair when the patient is perfectly able to walk out of the building on their own." He storms out of the room to head to the Nurses' station. Before he is able to go thermonuclear with the nurses on duty, the elevator doors open to reveal an orderly pushing an empty wheelchair. "About fucking time!" Christian explodes to the orderly.

"Sorry Sir. There have been several people discharged today and we are short staffed." The orderly politely responds and heads into Andrew's room.

"Here you go, Mr. Downing. All ready to go home?" the orderly asks.

"Yes I am." Andrew says with a big smile.

"I hope my husband didn't berate you." Ana asks the orderly. She is concerned as the poor young man is avoiding looking at Christian.

"It's okay, Ma'am." the orderly says. "I know people get upset with the delays sometimes."

Ana glares at Christian. "Christian, I think you owe this young gentleman an apology."

Christian returns Ana's glare, but she doesn't back down or lower her eyes. He sees that she is tapping her foot waiting for him. He runs his hands through his hair as he sighs and turns to the orderly. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I should have realized that Andrew wouldn't have been the only person being discharged today. Please accept my apology."

The orderly flashes a smile and says "Apology accepted."

Christian whispers to Ana. "My hand is getting very twitchy. And if Taylor doesn't get that smirk off his face, your punishment will double." Ana's only reaction is to take Christian's hand in hers and smile.

Andrew sits down in the wheelchair with his knapsack on his lap and the orderly is starting to push him out the door. Christian steps forward and says "I'll take that." Taylor, still smirking, takes Andrew's suitcase and follows behind.

When Sawyer pulls up in front of Grey Manor, Andrew's eyes widen in surprise. Above the massive double front doors is a banner saying "WELCOME HOME ANDREW" and a gang of children come running out of the house to greet the car. Standing in the doorway are Margaret and Gail. As Andrew steps out of the SUV, the children shout "Welcome Home Andrew" in unison.

"Thank you everyone." Andrew says, taken aback by the outpouring from the Greys. He smiles and looks at each child. "Let me see if I remember everyone's name." he says as he shakes hands with everyone. The only names he gets wrong are Jason and Lucas.

"Let's go inside everyone." Ana says. "Andrew still needs to take things easy. And I'm sure this Grey welcome is a bit overwhelming." Christiana grabs Andrew's hand and leads him into the house.

Everyone settles into the family room and Gail, with Ana's assistance, brings in snacks for everyone. After everyone have finished, Ana sees that Andrew is starting to show signs of being tired.

"Andrew, your suite is in the new wing of the house, along with the guest suites and Margaret's apartment. Would you like to go there and get settled in? Ana says. "Taylor will have already taken your bags up there."

"Sure." Andrew says. "I am feeling a bit tired. I think I should take a nap. What time is dinner?"

"We usually aim for 6:30 p.m." Ana says. "But I understand you're tired. So don't worry about waking up in time. If necessary, Gail or I can make you up a tray later."

"Thank you Ana." Andrew. "I appreciate everyone you all have done for me."

"It's the least we could do." Christian says. "Come on, I'll show you your new quarters." Christian and Ana lead Andrew out of the room towards the hallway that connects the new wing to the main house.

"There is an exterior door here from this breezeway to give you, Margaret and guests some privacy from the overzealous children. But the upper level is connected directly to the main house." Christian explains. They climb the interior stairs to the upper floor and stop at the first door.

Christian hands Andrew a key. "It is your choice whether you want to keep the hallway door locked or not. There shouldn't be a problem of robbery." Christian smirks. "But we want you to feel that you have some independence."

"Thank you." Andrew says as he takes the key and opens the door. "Oh wow!" he exclaims as he walks in to his new living quarters.

"Obviously, this is a living room." Ana says as she follows Andrew into the suite. "There is a small kitchenette in the corner, bathroom and bedroom. The kitchenette is more for convenience. We certainly hope that you join the family for meals." She looks around. "Jason will have left your bags in the bedroom. We'll leave you now to settle in. The tour of the rest of the house and grounds can wait for another time."

Andrew hugs Ana and then Christian. "Thank you both for everything you've done for me. I don't know what would have happened to me if the hospital hadn't found your business card in my pocket."

"You're welcome, Andrew." Christian says. "Given the circumstances as to why you were at the hospital, I am forever thankful that you had my card and I was contacted. Rest assured we will be by your side during the trial."

"I appreciate it." Andrew says. He looks Christian in the eye and says "I'm sorry for my initial reaction to you. I really did think that day we met that Elena cared for me. But what she did to me that night and what you have told me about your relationship with Elena, I'm glad you've been there for me."

Ana kisses Andrew on the cheek. "I'm glad you decided to cooperate with the police and are prepared to face that Bitch Troll in court." Ana says. She looks at Christian and continues "It's about time that she is brought to justice."


	48. Chapter 48

"Yes Jason?" Christian says as Jason is admitted into his office.

"I've just had a phone call from Dean Wainright in Auburn Hills." Jason tells Christian. "He believes he has found records at the car dealership's body shop that indicate repair was done on July 1 1983 on a vehicle belonging to the dealership at the time." Jason pauses as he looks Christian in the eye. "Work that would be comparable to repair damage done by the impact of a body."

"Anything that would implement Reynolds Junior or Senior as the driver? Or them having knowledge about the accident?" Christian asks.

"Wainright says that the records show that one of the employees of the body shop, Steven Gilbert, had signed out the vehicle in the morning on June 30th. We he returned the car at the end of the day, he claimed that he had hit a pole. Reynolds Junior signed off on the repair and there was no indication that Gilbert was required to reimburse the company or pay any consequence. In fact, a few weeks later he received a pay raise and increases every six months after that for the next seven years."

"Does Wainright believe the pay raises would be compensation for killing my father?" Christian asks.

"Yes." Jason says quietly. "But it would be difficult to prove from the paperwork alone. Wainright is currently trying to track down Gilbert. He is still listed as an employee of the body shop, but suddenly took a leave of absence. The day after you took over the business."

"Thank you for the update, Jason." Christian says. "I assume you have assured Wainright that whatever he needs to locate this fucker, he has the go-ahead."

"Yes." Jason responds. "Wainright is waiting until he locates Gilbert before going to the police. At this point in time, the paperwork doesn't indicate that either Junior or Senior would have had knowledge of the 'accident'. The courts would only view it as circumstantial evidence."

"Keep me posted." Christian tells Jason. "It will be much easier if Gilbert confesses when confronted and even better if he implements either, or both, of the Reynolds."

Jason looks at his boss and friend. "You do realize it is your uncle and grandfather you are talking about."

Christian glares at Jason. "Biological, yes. But Senior disowned my mother, Ella, before I was even born and refused to acknowledge me after Ella died. How could anyone expect me to have any feeling except hatred for that man. And from what I've seen, Junior is much like his father."

"What about James Conner and his mother Edna?" Jason asks. "If we proceed with what we expect will be the outcome, Edna's father and/or brother may be charged with murder."

Christian runs his hands through his hair. "I know. I realize it is easy for me to write off my biological uncle and grandfather as I never knew them and, at least in the case of Senior, refused to acknowledge my existence." He sighs. "But in the case of Edna, she grew up in the same house with them. But as she tells it, it was a prison and her brother was as bad as their father." Christian looks at Jason. "As soon as we know how the police will proceed, I will talk to James and Edna."

"Okay." Jason says as he turns to leave Christian's office.

As soon as Jason closes the door behind him, Christian reaches for the phone to call Ana to update her.

"Yes, Ana. I will keep you posted as soon as I hear anything more." Christian assures her.

"What about Edna and James?" Ana asks.

"I think it best to wait until we know for sure about the involvement for Frederick and Freddy. Even though Edna has said that her life at home was like a prison, it is still her father and brother we are talking about. If they were not actually involved, I don't want to cause her problems. But I'm sure at least one of them will have been involved. They just didn't get their hands dirty enough to do the actual deed." Christian says. "However, we will update Margaret this evening."

Dinnertime at Grey Manor is the usual commotion expected with a family of six children.

"How was your first day?" Ana asks Andrew.

"It's been good." Andrew responds. "The older kids gave me a tour of the property. I see why Christian laughed when I asked if your backyard was big enough to play catch." He says with a laugh. "Teddy and I played catch for quite awhile." He smiled at Teddy. "He's good."

"Don't let any of the children run you ragged." Christian warned. "Right children?" He looked around the table at his children and they all nodded in agreement.

"Um…Christian?" Andrew asks hesitantly. Christian lists an eyebrow to indicate for him to continue. "I have some personal belongings back in Portland. I was just wondering if it would be possible to take a trip to Portland to get them?"

"Yes, of course." Christian answers. "Sorry. I had intended to ask if there was anything you wanted or needed from Portland. I'll take you in Charlie Tango on Saturday."

"Charlie Tango?" Andrew asks.

Margaret laughs. "It's Christian's helicopter. He's had his license for a number of years. He gave me a tour of Seattle shortly after I came to Seattle. It's an amazing way to see the city. It also gives you a better perspective as to just how large this property is."

"For one of our first dates, I was still living in Vancouver and Christian flew me in Charlie Tango back to his penthouse in Seattle." Ana giggles. "Talk about overwhelming a girl." She smiles loving at Christian who smirks back at her. Of course she doesn't inform the others that that was the night she gave her virginity to Christian, or that Christian had taken great enjoyment to strapping her into her seat.

After dinner, Andrew assists the children in their usual routine of clearing the table and cleaning up in the kitchen. Christian and Ana assist Jason and Lucas from their booster seats.

"Ana, could I help you bathing the twins?" Margaret asks. "At least I can be an extra set of hands."

"Sure. I'd appreciate the extra set of hands." Ana looks at Christian. "You'll be in your office?"

"No, I think I'll spend some time in the family room with the other children. I'll be up in a bit to say goodnight to the boys." Christian says. She and Margaret head upstairs with the youngest twins. After their bath, the boys climb into their beds and Margaret sits in the chair between the beds and starts reading them their bedtime story. As she is finishing the story, Christian arrives in the doorway.

Christian enters the room and tucks his sons into their beds. He kisses each one and wishes them sweet dreams. He steps back so that Margaret and Ana can say their goodnights. Ana picks up the monitor and the adults leave the room.

Once they are in the hallway, Christian asks Margaret to come to his office. Once in the office, Christian ensures that Margaret is comfortable, sitting beside Ana on the couch, before starting to tell her what he had learned earlier in the day about the body shop in Auburn Hills.

"Do you think this Steven Gilbert is the hit and run driver that killed Bobby?" Margaret asks.

"Yes, I do." Christian answers. "My investigator on site is trying to locate Gilbert. Apparently the man is still on the payroll, but took a leave of absence the day we visited the dealership."

Margaret grips Ana's hand and looks Christian in the eye. "Christian, do you think that either Mr. Reynolds or Freddy were involved?"

Christian briefly closes his eyes before returning her gaze. "Yes. I can't see how at least one of them wasn't involved, or at least aware, of what really happened to cause the damage to the car." Christian runs his hand through his hair. "It's just a matter of determining which one, or both, and whether they ordered the hit, or learned of it after the fact."

"Why would this Gilbert take it upon himself to track down Bobby and kill him? He had to have done it at the request of one of the Reynolds." Margaret says.

"My thoughts exactly." Christian says.

"Oh Christian. I'm so sorry." Margaret says as she reaches over to pat Christian's hand. "This is your grandfather and uncle we're talking about."

"They may be related to me by blood, but neither one of them has ever done anything to endear them to me. In fact, Senior turned his back on me when I was four years old and newly orphaned." Christian says softly. "I'm more concerned about Edna and James. I haven't contacted them yet. I was waiting until Gilbert was found and hopefully confesses and indicates what involvement his employers had."

"Thank you for letting me know." Margaret says. "Let me know when you have further details." She sighs and then says "If possible, I would like to go back to Michigan for the trial, whenever that would be."

"Of course, Grandmother." Christian says. "Ana and I would welcome the company." He sighs and looks at Ana. "It looks like it will be a year for courtrooms."


	49. Chapter 49

Two days later, Christian has Andrea call James Conner to his office. A short time later, James enters the office of his boss with great hesitation. Although they are first cousins, James is well aware of Christian's reputation and knows that blood relationship would not give him an advantage.

Christian stands up and comes around from his desk when he sees James. "Thank you for coming, James. How are things going?" Christian asks him after shaking hands.

"Fine, Sir." James responds hesitantly.

"Please take a seat." Christian says, motioning to the chairs in front of his desk. As James takes a seat, Christian looks towards the office door that he hears being opened. He flashes his mega-watt, panty melting smile. "Ah, Ana. Thank you for coming over here so quickly." he says as he strides across the room to pull her into his arms to give her a kiss. "Please have a seat."

"Hi James." Ana says as she hugs him before taking the other chair in front of Christian's desk. "Has Christian filled you in?"

"No." James responds, feeling a bit better. If he was about to be fired, he didn't think Christian Grey would have invited his wife. "I'm not sure why I'm here. When I was asked to come up here, I thought I was going to be fired."

"Sorry about that." Christian says. "If you thought you were going to be fired, is there something I should know about?" he says with a grin. "Sorry. I'm just kidding. From all reports, you are doing an excellent job." Christian's desk phone rings. "Excuse me." He picks up the phone. "Yes, Andrea. Thanks."

Christian presses a button on the phone. "Hello Edna. I've put you on speaker. This is Christian Grey. I have your son James and my wife Ana here with me. Is Richard with you?"

"Hello Christian and Ana. Hi James." Edna calls out. "Yes, Richard is with me. What's happened? Is something wrong?" she asks anxiously.

"Edna, I'm sorry to be the bearer of some bad news." Christian says gravely. "I don't know the best way to do this, so I might as well just say it. About an hour ago, I received word that the Detroit police were about to arrest both your father and brother for their involvement in the hit and run accident that killed my father thirty-eight years ago."

"Oh my God!" Enda shouts. She starts crying. "I can't believe it. I know my father was always controlling and my brother a major prick, but I can't believe either one of them would resort to murder."

James' face is ashen and Ana rushes to his side to try to comfort him. "Dad, is Mom okay?" he calls out.

"I've got your mother, James." Richard's voice assures his son over the phone. "She's understandably shook up. Christian, after all these years, what evidence came to light? he asks.

"A few months ago, I bought the Reynolds' car dealership from Ford. Apparently they were in arrears with their franchise fees." Christian says. "I had my suspicions about the coincidence of Bobby White being killed by a hit and run driver and the father of his girl friend just happened to own a car dealership and body shop. Once my company took over the business, I sent in a team of investigators to go through the books. Surprisingly, they still had records going back to day one. A few days ago, I was informed that the body shop had done repair on a car that an employee, Steven Gilbert, had signed out the day Bobby was killed. Gilbert was still on the payroll, but had coincidently taken a leave of absence the day I took over the dealership. My investigator located Gilbert yesterday and after being arrested, he confessed and implicated both Frederick Senior and Junior."

"Both of them were involved?" Edna questions with a strangled voice.

"According to Gilbert, yes." Christian answers. "Gilbert had signed out the car and he and Freddy went into Detroit looking for some good times. Freddy was driving and happened to spot Bobby crossing the street. He sped up and purposely hit Bobby and continued on. Freddy bribed Gilbert into silence with money. Part of their deal was the Gilbert would claim responsibility for the damage to the car. When Frederick Senior saw the damage to the car, he knew it hadn't been from hitting a pole. Through his sources, he found out that Bobby White had been killed by a hit and run driver the same day the car had been damaged. When he confronted Gilbert about the real cause of the car damage, Gilbert confessed to him. Instead of going to the police, Reynolds gave Gilbert pay raises every few months."

"Oh my God!" Edna exclaims. "I knew they were both controlling pricks, but I never thought they would sink that low." She manages to say through her tears.

"I'm sorry to have to tell you this way, Edna." Christian says. "I would have preferred to do it in person, but the news should be breaking shortly and I wouldn't have had time to get to Chicago. This was the best way I could come up with."

"Thank you, Christian." Edna says. "This is no good way to hear this type of news. But I'm glad I heard it from you rather than on the news. James, how are you feeling?"

"I'm doing fine, Mom." James tries to assure his mother, although he is still shaken. "I wish I was with you to help support you. Dad, be sure to take care of her."

"Of course, son." Richard assures him.

"If you want, we can put James on the next plane to Chicago." Ana says, looking at Christian. She smiles when he nods his approval. "If a commercial flight isn't available, we can send him on one of the private jets."

"I would like that." James says. "Is it okay if I take some time off, Mr. Grey?"

"Of course." Christian says. "I'll arrange it with HR." He stands up. "Just let me talk to Andrea about making flight arrangements." He starts to walk to the door when he stops. "Edna, would you want to go to Detroit? We could send James on one of the jets and pick you and Richard up in Chicago."

"You mean for the arraignment? No I don't think so. At this point, I don't know what I would say to my father or brother. If my mother was still alive, I would want to be there to support her. But I don't give a damn about my step-mother." Edna answers. "Thank you for your offer. I will likely go for the trials, but not for the arraignment."

"Okay." Christian says. "I'll be back in a couple of minutes."

When Christian leaves the room, Ana asks "Edna, are you sure you're doing okay? We'll get James to you as soon as we possibly can."

"Thank you Ana." Edna responds. "I'm doing okay, giving the circumstances. But I am glad that I didn't find out about it by a news report. How is Margaret settling in? I understand she moved into her new apartment at Grey Manor."

"Yes, she did move in a few days ago." Ana replies, glad for a change of topic. "She seems to be enjoying herself. I know the kids are certainly enjoying having a great-grandmother on site."

A few minutes later Christian returns with Taylor. "Andrea has booked you on a flight leaving in two hours. It would be quicker than getting a flight plan filed for one of the company jets. That should give you time for Taylor to drive you to your apartment to pack a bag and get you to the airport."

"Thank you again, Christian." Edna says. "Have you informed Margaret yet?"

"No." Christian replies. "I did tell her a couple of days ago about the evidence found about Gilbert and the car. I didn't inform you at that point until I knew of involvement, if any, by your father and brother. As soon as I got the word about the pending arrest, I was busy setting up this call and ensure you had the necessary support. Ana and I will be updating Margaret as soon as we get home."

"Well, I guess we should say good-bye." Edna says. "James, we'll see you in a few hours."

"Yes, Mom." James says. "I'll text you or Dad with the flight info."

Christian disconnects the call. "James, I'm sorry you had to find out this way. Please take care of your Mother. Take as long as you need. It is important that you be there for your mother at a time like this."

"Thank you Sir." James says. He shakes Christian's hand and receives a hug from Ana. He leaves the office with Taylor.

Christian returns to his chair and sits down. Ana rushes over and snuggles into his lap. "Are _you_ okay, Christian?" she asks.

"Yes, I am Ana." Christian says as he pulls her closer to him. He breaths in the scent of her hair. "I know those men are my biological father and uncle, but I have no feeling except hatred for them." At Ana's look of concern, he continues "No, not the hatred I had for years for the crack whore. That was reaction from feeling abandoned and ignored while she sold her body for her next drug fix. This hatred is for the men that were instrumental in causing Ella to turn to a life of drugs and prostitution. And ignoring my existence when Ella died. In one way or the other, they are responsible for the death of both my biological parents."

"Oh Christian." Ana says as she pulls his mouth down to hers.

After several minutes, Christian pulls his mouth away from Ana's. Both are gasping for air. Christian rubs his nose against Ana's. "Mrs. Grey, I would love to fuck you on this desk, but we do need to get home to update Margaret. I don't want her hearing of the arrests on the news."

Ana reluctantly stands up and turns to Christian with a gleam in her eye. "I understand, Mr. Grey." She bites her lip. "Rain check?"

"Most definitely." Christian says with a smile.

Luke drives Christian and Ana home. Gail greets them at the front door, having already been informed of Jason's delay and the Grey's pending early arrival home. She has ensured that the children are being supervised by the Nanny or otherwise occupied to not distract their parents.

"Margaret is in her apartment." Gail informs them. "And the children are in their rooms."

"Thanks Gail." Ana says.

Christian and Ana head to Margaret's apartment. They knock on the door and when she opens it, she steps aside for them to enter.

"Grandmother, please sit down." Christian says gravely.

"I assume you have some news?" Margaret asks.

"Yes." Christian replies. "Both Frederick Reynolds Senior and Junior were arrested by the Detroit police earlier this afternoon for involvement in the hit and run accident that killed Bobby."

Ana hugs Margaret as she cries while Christian informs her on what Steven Gilbert confessed to the police.

Margaret stands up and walks over to Christian who stands up as she approaches. She hugs him and kisses him on the cheek. "Thank you Christian for finally solving the mystery that has been plaguing me for thirty-eight years."

"I didn't to do the solving." Christian says.

"You are responsible for getting people to look into it and getting the evidence. I just hope that those bastards are found guilty." Margaret says.

"Well, my money does have some good uses." Christian says with a smirk. "And I hope they are found guilty too."

"I would like to be able to be in the court room for the trial." Margaret says.

"Definitely, Grandmother." Christian assures her. "We will be too."

"Has poor Edna been informed?" Margaret says.

"Yes, Christian arranged for me to be in his office with James while Edna and Richard were on the speaker phone and Christian told them the news before they would have heard it on the news." Ana says. "I was glad that Richard was with Edna and we were with James." Ana smiles at Christian. "And Christian has given James a Leave of Absence and arranged for him to fly home to Chicago to be with his mother." Ana looks at Margaret. "Edna also said that she wants to be at the trial."

"FUCK!" Christian shouts as he watches the news. The arrest of Frederick Reynolds Senior and Junior for the hit and run death of Bobby White 38 years ago in Detroit is the lead story for the evening news.

"What's wrong, Christian?" Ana asks as she rushes into the family room.

"The fucking media." Christian answers as he runs his hands through his hair. "Instead of just reporting the arrest of the Reynolds, they are doing a background story on my life and how I'm connected to the Reynolds."

Ana cuddles up to Christian to try to calm him down. "Well, you are newsworthy. And have been for years. You should be used to that by now." She tells him softly. She cups his face in her hands and kisses him briefly on his lips. "And you _are_ the connection between Bobby and the Reynolds, whether you like it or not."

Christian sighs as he pulls Ana closer to him. He inhales her scent and starts to calm down. "I know. I just hate my personal life being tabloid fodder."

"Do you think you should have Kate do a story on it?" Ana asks. "I mean it would help ensure the true facts are documented rather than only half-truths being reported and speculation."

"Yes, that would be a good idea." Christian says. "But we should likely have the Detroit DA approve it in case there is an impact on the trial. I don't want them getting off on technicalities." Christian smirks as he looks at Ana. "Are you sure you wouldn't want to substitute for Kate in the interview? You did so well the last time."

"You had me so mesmerized, I couldn't think straight." Ana giggles. "I had no idea what I was walking into that day when I arrived at Grey House to interview the mysterious billionaire Christian Grey. I assumed anyone that had amassed such a fortune had to be elderly. Boy was I wrong!"

Christian's phone rings. "Grey." He says as he answers. "Hello Katherine. Ana was just suggesting the same thing. Tomorrow would be fine." "Yes, I think it would give a better presence if the filming was done at my office. Okay. See you at 10 am." He disconnects.

"Christian!" Ana exclaims. At his raised eyebrow she continues "You couldn't pass the phone over to me to talk to my friend?"

Christian shrugs with a smirk. "She called me on my phone with a business call." He laughs as Ana's phone starts ringing with the ring tone she assigned to Kate. "You're rolling your eyes, Mrs. Grey." He says as Ana answers her phone.

"Hi Kate." Ana says. "Yes, I know. I was just giving him hell for not passing the phone over to me. He says it was a business call." Ana turns to Christian and says with a smile "She says you're a prick."

"Just gotta be me." Christian answers. "You wouldn't want me going soft, now would you?" he says with a smile as he runs his hand over Ana's back before reaching around to cup her breast, running his thumb over her nipple. His smile grows bigger as he hears Ana catch her breath.

Christian laughs as he hears Kate say "Well, I guess I better end this phone call. I can tell from your voice that Christian is man handling you. And I certainly don't want to taint my innocent ears with your screams of ecstasy."

Christian takes the phone from Ana's hand and says "Night Kate." and disconnects. "Now about these screams, Mrs. Grey."

Ana repositions herself so that she is straddling Christian and grinds herself against Christian's lap. "Yes, Mr. Grey?"

She smiles salaciously as she sees Christian's grey eyes glaze over. She leans down and whispers in his ear. "Take me to bed and fuck me hard, Christian."

Christian stands up with Ana's legs wrapped around his waist. "Anything for you, Mrs. Grey."


	50. Chapter 50

The next morning, Ana accompanies Christian to his office at Grey House. She wants to be with him for support during the interview Kate will be conducting. In an attempt to stop the tabloid press exploiting Christian's connection to the arrest of Frederick Reynolds Senior and Junior the day before in Detroit, Kate offered to do an interview to be broadcast through the resources of Kavanaugh Media.

"Good Morning, Mr. Grey. Mrs. Grey." Andrea says as the couple walk hand in hand through her office. "I'll just go and get your coffee and tea."

Ana smiles and says "Thank you Andrea. You take good care of us."

"Andrea, whatever I have scheduled for 10am until noon will need to be rescheduled." Christian informs his Personal Assistant. "Katherine Grey will be here with a camera crew at 10 a.m. to do an interview." As Christian is about to step into his office, he turns and smiles at Andrea. "Please arrange for refreshments to be available for the film crew."

"Of course, Mr. Grey." Andrea says. She hands Christian a piece of paper. "Here is your schedule. I'll give you a revised one after I reschedule your late morning appointments. As you will see, Mr. York from PR is scheduled for 9 a.m. for your monthly meeting."

"That's good. I needed to speak to him about Kate's interview anyway." Christian responds.

Once they are in his office, Christian closes the door and walks over to his desk to sit down. "Anastasia, you didn't have to come you know. But thank you." he says with a smile.

Ana takes a seat in a chair in front of his massive desk. "I know. But I always want to be by your side to support you." She smiles at her husband. "So, what shall we do to put in the time before Kate gets here?"

"You do have a one track mind, don't you Mrs. Grey?" Christian says with a smirk. Before Ana is able to respond, there is a knock on the door. "Come in." Andrea opens the door balancing a tray of coffee, tea and muffins.

Ana jumps up from her chair to take the tray. "Thank you Andrea."

"You're welcome, Mrs. Grey." Andrea says. "Let me know if there is anything else either of you need." Andrea sets a sheet of paper on Christian's desk. "Here is your revised schedule for today, Sir. I was able to reschedule your 10 am and 11am appointments to this afternoon and tomorrow. They are your monthly meetings with the heads of Finance and Research." Andrea turns and leaves the office.

A short time later, Andrea calls to announce that Brian York has arrived for his appointment. "Send him in." Christian tells her. The office door opens and York walks in.

"Good morning, Mr. Grey." York says. "And Mrs. Grey." He adds when he sees Ana.

"Have a seat York." Christian tells him. "Before we start with regular business, I need to inform you that Katherine Grey will be here in an hour with a film crew to conduct an interview with me." Christian puts a hand up when York is about to object. "It isn't about business. It is personal."

"Oh about what has been happening in Detroit?" York asks.

"Yes." Christian answers. "My sister-in-law offered to do an interview so that the true facts of my connection are made public rather than letting the gossip tabloids continue with their misconstrued facts."

"That is an excellent idea. I had it on my list to discuss the situation with you. We've started getting phone calls asking for a statement." York states. "I will co-ordinate with Mrs. Grey and issue a press release on behalf of GEH."

"Yes." Christian says. "You should likely stay for the interview as well, so that time isn't wasted repeating facts." Christian turns to his computer and taps a few keys. "Now, let's get down to our regular business."

While the two men discuss their business, Ana watches and listens intently. Even after ten years of marriage, she is still fascinated watching Christian in business mode. Shortly after the meeting starts, she pulls out her ipad to make notes for her own purposes during similar meetings she has with her staff.

Just as Christian is wrapping up the meeting, Andrea calls to announce the arrival of Kate and her film crew. As the trio walk into the office, Christian looks at Kate with a smirk and says "I hope your lighting person is better than the last time."

Kate laughs and shrugs. "You get what you pay for. Ten years ago, my assistants were all volunteers. And easily mesmerized by the presence of the great Christian Grey." She looks at Ana and adds with a smirk "Besides, you couldn't take your eyes off of Ana during that interview. We had to almost blind you with the lights to get your attention. You would have put up with almost anything from us as long as Ana was with us."

Christian laughs as he sees Ana blush. "True, Kate. I didn't realize I was that obvious." He states.

"Oh you were, trust me. But so was Ana, so I had to let nature run its course." Kate laughs. "Enough reminiscing, let's get started." Kate says as she dons her professional reporter persona. "Christian, do you want to be interviewed with you sitting behind your desk as the Master of the Universe or seated more casually on your couch?" At Christian's look of disdain, Kate says "Okay, desk it is."

"I can see you rolling your eyes, Anastasia." Christian says with a smirk. Ana responds with a giggle.

"Before we get started, we should establish some guidelines. Christian, do you have any hard limits?" Kate asks. "Concerning my questions, I mean." She adds with a smirk.

"Only that the questions pertain directly to the Detroit situation." Christian says with a laugh.

Kate's film crew go through their usual routine of setting up their equipment while Kate discusses details with York. Once the crew indicate to Kate that they are ready, she positions herself in a chair in front of Christian's desk. After giving Christian a loving kiss, Ana joins York in the conversation area of the office, out of camera range.

Kate looks into the camera and says "This is Katherine Grey. I am here at Grey House, the international headquarters of Grey Enterprise Holdings in Seattle Washington to interview Christian Grey, the CEO of GEH. Mr. Grey has been in the headlines recently because of his connection to the arrest of two men for a hit and run death which occurred thirty-eight years ago in Detroit Michigan." Kate turns to Christian and continues "Thank you Mr. Grey for agreeing to this interview."

"You're welcome, Katherine." Christian responds.

"Frederick Reynolds Senior and Frederick Reynolds Junior have both recently been arrested by Detroit Police for the hit and run death of Bobby White thirty-eight years ago. Various media sources have been running stories on your connection to both the Reynolds as well as White. How accurate have they been?" Kate questions.

Christian looks straight into the camera. "It is accurate that both Frederick Reynolds Senior and Junior have been arrested for their suspected involvement in the death of Bobby White who was killed by a hit and run driver in 1983. For whatever reason, that death has been a cold case for almost forty years. The Detroit Police reopened the case recently when new evidence was made available to them."

"What was this new evidence?" Kate asks.

"Due to the ongoing investigation and pending trials, I am not at liberty to provide full details. All that I can publicly say is that the Lincoln dealership in Auburn Hills Michigan recently changed ownership. In going through records of the dealership and its affiliated body shop, records revealed repairs done to a vehicle around the time of White's death. The repairs done to the vehicle were comparable to what would need to be done to repair damage from hitting a body."

"Are you the new owner of that Lincoln dealership?" Kate asks.

"Grey Enterprises Holdings is now the owner, but I own Grey Enterprises Holdings." Christian answers.

"It is well documented that you built your empire of Grey Enterprises Holdings by buying a wide spectrum of business and continue to do so almost two decades later. But this is the first time your company purchased the franchise of an existing corporation. Why?" Kate asks.

Christian stops himself from lifting his hand to run it through his hair in agitation. He takes a deep breath before responding. "Earlier this year I became aware of some details of my biological family. I was informed, and it was confirmed by my adoptive father, that at the time I was orphaned at the age of four, my biological grandfather refused to acknowledge my existence when contacted by Social Services." Christian takes a breath before continuing. "That worked to my benefit as that permitted Carrick and Grace Grey to legally adopt me, for which I'm eternally grateful." Christian's voice turns cold as he adds "But I had to discover for myself what type of man could turn his back on his own grandson when informed that child had recently lost the only parent he had ever known."

"Who is your biological grandfather?" Kate asks.

"Frederick Reynolds Senior." Christian answers. "When my investigative sources located him, I was informed that, although he was retired, he was still listed as the owner of a Lincoln dealership in Auburn Hills Michigan and the business was being operated by his son, Freddy. My sources discovered that Ford Corporation was on the verge of taking over the business as the Reynolds were behind in their franchisee payments to Ford." Christian shrugs before adding "So GEH simply contacted Ford and paid the back fees and was given the ownership of the dealership."

"You bailed out your newly found uncle and grandfather?" Kate asks.

"No!" Christian said firmly. "I wanted nothing to do with them. They had turned their back on my biological mother when she discovered she was pregnant and then refused to acknowledge my existence when she died." Christian's voice turns cold as he continues "I admit that taking over ownership of the dealership was an act of revenge on my part as I was able to take away their livelihood."

"Would you not have been aware that by taking over ownership of the dealership, your corporation would have access to records of that business and its affiliated body shop?" Kate asks.

"Of course." Christian responds with a shrug. "That is normal practice when GEH takes over any business. We need to know everything about the operation of the business and its past practices. In the case of the Reynolds' dealership, my team of experts were most surprised to discover records dating back more than forty years."

"So your team of experts were the ones that found pertinent information that lead to the arrests earlier this week?" Kate prompts Christian.

"Yes. I did ask them to look closely at records for mid June 1983." Christian says.

"And…?" Kate asks.

"I'm sorry. I don't believe I'm at liberty to say anything further on that without jeopardizing the pending court case." Christian answers.

"Okay." Kate says. "What is the significance of mid June 1983?"

Christian glares at Kate who maintains her eye contact with him. "My biological father was killed just a few days after I was born in June 1983."

"Your biological father is…?" Kate asks.

"Bobby White. His mother, Margaret White had been the housekeeper for the Reynolds family but was fired when Frederick Senior found out that his teenage daughter, Ella, was pregnant with Bobby's child." Christian says. His voice turns cold as he continues "Not only did he fire his housekeeper but he also disowned his own daughter."

"Are you saying that your biological grandfather and/or uncle are responsible for the death of your biological father?" Kate asks.

Christian looks at Kate. "That will be up to a jury to decide." He says forcefully.

"How do you feel about the situation?" Kate asks.

"How do you think a person would feel?" Christian counters back. "I don't have any love or affection for either Frederick Reynolds Senior or Junior, even though they are my biological grandfather and uncle." He flashes a mega-watt smile towards Ana. "I learned many years ago that love of family has nothing to do with biological lines. I view Carrick and Grace Grey as my parents. They never hid the fact that I was adopted, but they raised me and my adoptive siblings in a loving and caring home." Christian turns back to address the camera. "From what I have learned over the past few months of life in the Reynolds household, I am forever thankful that the Greys were allowed to adopt me. I would not want any child to grow up in an unloving environment such as the Reynolds home."

"How do you feel about being involved with the discovery of evidence that led to the arrest, and possible conviction, of your grandfather and uncle?" Kate asks.

"Let me get this straight. _I_ didn't discover any evidence. I visited the dealership once to meet Freddy Reynolds and then I visited my grandfather at his home. It was at that point that GEH took over ownership of the dealership and affiliated businesses. Any evidence that may have been found was unearthed during routine checking of files. As I previously stated, it is normal procedure for a team of GEH experts to go through all files of a newly acquired company." Christian says forcefully. "But, as I've already stated, I have no love lost for those two men." Christian answers. "By disowning his teenaged pregnant daughter, I hold Senior responsible for the eventual early death of my biological mother. And Freddy was an adult at the time and did nothing to assist his sister in a time of need." Christian's voice turns cold again. "In fact, if, and I emphasis if, what has come to light this past week is true, Junior went beyond that and is responsible for the death of my biological father which also contributed to the eventual death of my biological mother."

"You do not seem to have any remorse in your contribution to the downfall of your grandfather and uncle." Kate states.

"No I don't. I'm a strong believer that people are responsible for their actions and therefore any consequences resulting from those actions. As I've stated, they both turned their backs on both my biological mother and myself in times of need. If they are responsible for, or involved in, the death of my biological father, they need to face the consequences." Christian states. He looks across the room at Ana before adding. "I do regret that it has taken this long for Bobby's mother, my biological grandmother to find closure. For the past thirty-eight years, she has had to live not knowing who was responsible for the death of her son. Regardless of the outcome of the trial, I sincerely hope that she can finally find peace."

"Thank you, Christian Grey for granting me this interview." Kate says. "Do you have any last words?"

"No I don't. I believe I have said everything I want, or should, say." Christian informs her.

"And we're done." Kate announces to everyone in the room. "Christian, after I have finished my editing, I will send a copy to the DA in Detroit to ensure that nothing sensitive was revealed. You managed to be vague on some things and I didn't push you to be more specific, but I don't want to endanger the trial."

"Thank you Kate. I appreciate it." Christian tells her. "I guess there _are_ advantages to having you as my sister-in-law." he smirks.

"And don't you forget it, Grey." Kate tosses back at him. "And don't forget your wife's best friend too." Kate turns to Brian York and says "Brian, I will keep you updated on the release and airing of the interview. Do you have any concerns about the way the interview was done?"

"No I don't Kate." York answers. "I appreciate being kept in the loop."

Kate looks around the room. Her crew have packed up and waiting for her. "Well, it looks like we're done here. I need to get to the studio to edit and release the interview to the public." She hugs Ana and says "Laters, Baby."


	51. Chapter 51

_SEATTLE NOOZ_

_Well folks! What do you make of Katherine Grey's recent interview of Seattle's own Christian Grey? _

_Enquiring minds want to know what Mr. Grey has to hide and feels the need to call upon his sister-in-law to do a PR fluff interview. Co-incidence that evidence concerning a hit and run accident which took place almost 40 years ago, suddenly came to light just a short time after Christian Grey's company purchased a certain car dealership? I think not. Or was the finding of said evidence assisted by some means. I mean, what business keeps documents around that long in this day and age?_

_Surely Katherine Grey has enough journalistic experience and clout to not have to depend on family members for material. Why should she be beholden to her billionaire brother-in-law for work? What has he ever done for her?_

_Speaking of Mr. Christian Grey. Or should it be Mr. Christian Reynolds? Now we know where he got his infamous temper. It's all in the blood lines. I mean, one must have quite a temper to disown your pregnant teenage daughter, fire your housekeeper because her son impregnated said daughter and then a few years later refuse to acknowledge your orphaned grandson. Bet Frederick Reynolds Senior is kicking himself now that he knows that said grandson is worth billions. And the temper must continue in the blood line with Frederick Junior. If what the Detroit Police are saying is true, one must have quite a temper to recognize your sister's boyfriend crossing the street and decide to run him down, leaving him behind in the street._

_This does not bode well for the children of Christian Grey. Or I guess I should say anyone they ever have a relationship with. I mean, sweet Ana Grey, I'm sure will do her best to control the tempers of her children. But blood lines obviously do not lie. I feel for you Ana._

Kate tosses her ipad aside as she reads the latest story on the _Nooz_ website. She picks up her phone to call Ana.

"Hi Kate." Ana says as soon as she answers. "I assume you've read the latest _Nooz_?"

"Yes. I want to kill that bastard Simon." Kate says through clenched teeth. "Or even better castrate him or hang him up by his balls."

"You'd probably have Christian's assistance." Ana says. "Christian is talking with his legal department about what recourse he has."

"Unfortunately, unless they are able to prove, in court, that what is said is lies, the _Nooz_ is able to skirt around the freedom of the press laws." Kate says with a sigh. "I know the _Nooz_ shouldn't qualify as 'press', but they do fall into that category in the eyes of the law. And Simon was very careful to not actually state anything as fact, just a lot of innuendo."

"I told Christian that the best thing is to just ignore the article." Ana says. "If he issues any statement, it just gives more publicity to the _Nooz._"

"I know. That's my thought too." Kate responds. "But if I do run into Simon at any press event, I probably won't be able to restrain myself."

"On a happier note, Kate, have you got a gown for tomorrow night's fundraiser for the children's wing of the hospital?" Ana asks.

"You mean the Christian and Anastasia Grey Children's Wing?" Kate says with a smile. "I still don't know why Christian didn't have the architects design a Grey suite. You know, a private room like the private boxes at Grey Stadium. I mean, between all of your pregnancies, Mia's and mine, it would be occupied most of the time."

Ana giggles. "Don't laugh, Kate." Ana says. "Christian DID give instructions to the architect for just that. It was all I could do to talk him out of it. I pointed out that it would be a shame for such a suite to be vacant except for a few days every year or so. I played to his efficiency needs and he finally relented – on the condition that we get priority on such a birthing room when we need it. And all of the children have the same priority for a private child's room if the need ever arises."

"I can just imagine what you had to do to talk Mr. Control Freak out of his original plans." Kate says with a smirk. She laughs when she hears Ana's giggle. "I _knew_ it. But I won't ask for specifics – some things are just TMI."

"You haven't answered my question." Ana tells Kate. "Do you have a gown for the fundraiser?"

"Yes. I planned on wearing one I already had, but when I tried it on yesterday, it wouldn't fit." Kate says with a sigh. "I'm already gaining weight with this pregnancy."

"Maybe you're having twins!" Ana says excitedly.

"Oh gawd! Please don't wish that on me." Kate says. "I'm not SuperMom like you."

"Oh come on…kids are great and twins are twice as fun." Ana says with a laugh.

"Anyways, as I was saying…" Kate quickly changes the topic. "I had to go shopping yesterday for a new dress and shoes."

"I bet that was a real arm twister!" Ana says with a smirk. "I mean, Kate Kavanaugh Grey being forced to go shopping."

"Ha ha!" Kate returns. "It's one thing to _want_ to go shopping, but it's another to _have _to go shopping because nothing appropriate for the event fits."

"But I'm sure you managed to find a fantastic outfit." Ana says.

Kate laughs. "Of course. Otherwise, I would still be out there. I assume you have something appropriate?"

"Yes." Ana says. "I'll be wearing one of the dresses Christian picked out for me in Paris."

"Long gone are the days when I had to force you to shop in my closet." Kate says with a laugh.

"Yes. But your wardrobe was quite effective." Ana says with a smile, thinking back to Christian's reactions when she various dresses borrowed from Kate's closest.

"Yes, it did serve to hook Mr. MoneyBags, didn't it. But the way he has always looked at you, you could wear a burlap sack and still get the same reaction." Kate says. "However, I don't think any of them ever had the effect that the little silver number did that night in Aspen ten years ago.

Ana groans. "Don't remind me. That was the first, and last time, I will let Mia talk me into buying a dress."

"It is a wonder Christian even let you out of the house with that dress on." Kate says.

"Oh believe me, he didn't want to. But he thought there would be safety in numbers with the six of us." Ana says. "He just didn't factor in me on the dance floor without him."

"Ana, sorry to cut short the ride down memory lane, but I have to go." Kate says reluctantly. "I have a press lunch to attend."

"Okay. See you tomorrow night." Ana says before disconnecting.

Kate is running late for the press lunch and finds the reception room quite crowded. She heads to the bar to pick up a juice before mingling among her peers en route to her table. Her eyes narrow as she spots someone on the other side of the room. As she tries to make her way across the room, an announcement is made for people to take their seats. She groans when she realizes the subject of her focus is heading to the same table.

"Kate! It is good to see you." Simon Rogers says as he takes the seat next to Kate.

"You're fucking kidding me, right?" Kate says in amazement. "After that tripe you published today in your sleazy tabloid?" She shakes her head. "I can't believe you have fallen so low to write for that rag. And then to have the nerve to attend Press functions."

"Well, I have to make a living." Simon responds. "Your illustrious brother-in-law ensured that I wasn't employed at _The Seattle Times_. Or at any other regular newspaper, for that matter."

"I don't blame him, after those articles you wrote about him and then his children." Kate tells him. "I always thought you were above such sleaze. Hell, you've won journalistic awards in the past."

"If you only knew the story behind some of those pictures, Kate." Simon says.

"I do know." Kate informs him. At his raised eyebrows, she continues. "Christian and Ana were trying to keep me from knowing that Elliott had originally rented the hotel room. Elliott was being set up and I hope to God that I never find out that you were one of the instigators."

Simon reaches over to grab Kate's hand before she is able to pull it out of his reach. "Kate, darling. I still have feelings for you. That bastard Grey doesn't deserve you. He's cheated on you before, and it was evident that he would have done so again if not for the intervention of his fucking brother." Simon looks Kate in the eye. "I'm sure it will just be a matter of time before another opportunity presents itself to him."

Kate jerks her hand away from Simon. "The status of my marriage is between my husband and me. It is certainly not open for exploitation in some tabloid." She looks at Simon. "And if my marriage were to end, for whatever reason, I certainly wouldn't turn to you for comfort."

"Why do you hate me so much?" Simon asks. "I thought we had a good thing going until that bastard managed to whittle his way back into your heart when you were vulnerable after Ava's accident."

"It took almost losing our daughter for both Elliott and me to acknowledge that we still loved one another and, despite the past, wanted to try again." Kate informs Simon.

"I still think that it was just his jealous streak getting the better of him when he found out that you had obviously moved on and you planned to marry me." Simon responds. "If you had stayed with me, you wouldn't need to worry every time I walked out the door if I was heading to the arms of another woman."

"No, I would have just had to worry what bullshit you would be writing and publishing." Kate says. "And don't get me started about your latest article." She hisses.

"You mean the one about your recent interview with the illustrious Christian Grey." Simon laughs. "Kate, you are too good a journalist to be used as a personal PR person for your brother-in-law. Why did you do such a fluff piece instead of your usual investigative report?"

"NOT that I need to answer to you, but I was the one that approached Christian and offered to do it. The regular media was slamming him with a lot of innuendo and half-truths. I thought I would use my media resources to get facts out, as well as Christian's stance on his newly discovered biological family."

"I still think it belittled you, Kate." Simon tells her.

"And I think you should be castrated or hung up by your balls for your article today." Kate hisses back.

Simon smirks. "I'm glad to hear that you still think of my balls. Hopefully, you think of other parts of my anatomy as well. Given that you have had extensive, up close and personal, experience with my body."

"Go. To. Hell." Kate says forcefully as she stands up and leaves the room. _"I hate to let that bastard see that he can get to me. But if I stayed, I'm not sure what I would do to him and the publicity that would cause."_ She tells herself as she heads to her car.


	52. Chapter 52

The following evening, Ana is glowing as she and Christian head up the reception line at the gala being held in the ballroom at the Fairmount Olympic Hotel. It is as a fundraiser for the Christian & Anastasia Grey Children's Wing at the local hospital. Just as Coping Together is close to the hearts of Carrick and Grace, the Children's Wing is close to the hearts of Christian and Ana. They still do everything they can to support Coping Together, but chose to focus on a different charity.

"Ana, you look stunning!" Kate exclaims when Kate and Elliott work their way through the reception line to Christian and Ana. The women exchanges hugs. Kate turns to Christian and says "You have great taste."

Christian smirks as he replies "Of course I do." He puts his arm around Ana and adds "That's why I married Anastasia."

"You look fantastic, too." Ana tells Kate.

"What about us poor males?" Elliott asks. "Don't we look fantastic or stunning?"

Ana reaches up on her toes to kiss her brother-in-law on the cheek. "Yes, Elliott, you look stunning."

Christian laughs "More like stunned."

"Well, you look beautiful, Bro." Elliott says.

"What can I say? It's just a pretty face." Christian smirks.

"Come on, Elliott. We better get moving. We're holding up the line." Kate says as she takes her husband by the arm. "Ana. Christian. We'll see you at the table."

A while later, Ana and Christian are able to join the rest of the Grey family at their table. Christian divides his attention between Ana and Margaret.

"How you are holding up, Margaret?" Ana asks. "I can remember the first time Christian took me to a Coping Together Ball, I was very overwhelmed."

Mia laughs. "Yes, you bid $24,000 for a weekend at Christian's Aspen home. You must have known that you wouldn't have needed to pay for that privilege!"

"I did get carried away in the moment." Ana giggles. "But Christian had insisted on depositing into my bank account the amount that he _claimed_ Jason had received when selling my car Wanda. So it was my way of getting rid of the money. And it went to a good cause."

"You weren't the only throwing money around that evening." Mia reminds Ana. "I do believe my dear brother got into a bidding war with a competitor for the privilege of the First Dance with you and had to up the ante to $100,000 before the competitor backed off."

Christian runs his hand over Ana's back. "I didn't have a real competitor. It was my shrink, Dr. Flynn, testing me to see how public I would go in admitting my desire for Ana." He chuckles when Ana blushes.

"Oh my." Margaret exclaims. "How high would you have gone?"

Christian shrugs. "Whatever it took. I never really thought about it. I knew I would be able to outbid him, and anyone else. But, as Ana said, it was all going to a good cause." Christian stands and holds his hand to assist Ana in standing. "Ana, it looks like it's time for us to give our speeches."

Christian and Ana walk to the podium hand-in-hand. At the podium, Christian raises Ana's hands to his lips for a kiss, much to the delight of the audience. Ana steps forward to the microphone. "Welcome everyone. Thank you for coming to this event." Ana smiles brightly as she looks around the room. "I trust you all brought your check books with you." As expected, everyone laughs. "The Children's Wing is very important to Christian and me." Ana giggles as she rubs her baby bump. "Of course with having so many children, as well as nieces and nephews, it is crucial for our peace of mind that our children would have the best health care available. But at the same time, we would want their hospital stay to be as enjoyable as possible. With funds raised in the past, the Children's Wing was built and designed with that in mind. Instead of the sterile environment of a traditional hospital, the Children's Wing was designed more like a hotel." Ana shrugs and smiles. "What child doesn't enjoy a hotel stay?" The audience laughs again. "There are video games rooms and computers. But as any parent knows, such things are expensive and constantly need upgrading. Children want and need adult care while in the hospital. The patients' rooms at the Children's Wing are large enough for a bed for a parent to stay with the child and be as comfortable as possible. But that costs money as well. Which is why we are here this evening.

Christian steps forward and wraps his arm around Ana before leaning down to give her a quick kiss. He steps up to the microphone and faces their audience to flash his mega-watt, panty melting smile. "And that's my cue." He announces. "Besides replacing and upgrading the entertainment items made available to the young patients, the medical equipment crucial for their care needs replacing and upgrading on a regular basis. Although there are accommodations for parents to stay with their child and of course what parent wouldn't want to be with their sick child 24/7 as well, but realistically that is not possible due to work commitments and possibly other children still at home. To fill in for the parents, the Children's Wing tries to maintain a good nurse/patient ratio." Christian looks around the room. "But all these things cost money. So open up those check books you brought with you." Christian flashes his smile again. "Whatever amount is raised this evening, Grey Enterprise Holdings will match it. So don't be afraid to be generous. Anastasia and I thank you in advance for your generosity."

Christian turns and takes Ana's hand, raising it to his lips, before leading her away from the podium back to their seats. As they take their seats, Margaret says "You are both excellent speakers. Christian, I think you'll be signing a very large check on behalf of GEH."

Christian laughs as says "I hope so."

Volunteers approach each table with toy chests for people to place their donation. When he sees Margaret signing a check, Christian says "Grandmother, you don't need to give a donation."

Margaret looks him in the eye and says "Christian. You and the rest of the Grey family have been so generous to me. This is the least I can do. Don't worry about the amount. It won't be much in comparison to other donations, but I have some money saved. And I want to do this." When Christian starts to object Margaret says "Do I have to be the high bidder for a weekend in Aspen?"

Ana giggles and then bites her lip to try to stop when Christian glares at her. "Okay. Thank you" Christian says to Margaret. He leans over to whisper in Ana's ear "And you Mrs. Grey, will pay later." Kate laughs when Ana starts to blush.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the self-righteous Grey family." Simon Rogers says as he approaches their table. "Still trying to do damage control to your reputation, Grey? Making a big to do that you will match donations raised this evening. You would probably be giving that amount anyway. But if you just wrote out a check for that amount, you wouldn't get the publicity of the donation."

"What the fuck are you doing here, Rogers?" Christian says through clenched teeth. "What garbage will you be posting tomorrow?"

Rogers smirks as he answers "I guess you'll just have to check out _The Nooz_ tomorrow morning, won't you?"

"Mr. Rogers. If you do not stop harassing my son and his family, I will be filing a restraining order against you." Carrick states.

Rogers takes a step back and raises his hands. "No need. I'll soon be leaving. I've had my meal and done my reporter duties." He looks at Kate. "Katherine, you look ravishing this evening. I just wanted to stop by and apologize for upsetting you at lunch today." Without waiting for any response, he turns and leaves.

Christian starts to rise from his seat to follow Rogers, but seats back down when he sees that Taylor is following the man out the door.

"Kate! What did he mean about lunch today?" Elliott asks. "Have you been meeting him for lunches?"

"WHAT are you insinuating, Elliott?" Kate responds back in a clipped voice.

"Kate, didn't you say you had a press lunch today?" Ana quickly jumps in.

"Yes, I did." Kate replies. "But I left before it started as I was so pissed off with Simon."

"You mean you were with Rogers?" Elliott questions in an agitated voice.

"Not that it should matter, but I can't help where people sit at those lunches." Kate answers as she glares at Elliott. "I don't question who you sit with at your business lunches."

"You know I rarely go to those things." Elliott responds. "It takes too much time away from my actual job." He glares at Kate. "I don't want you fucking near that bastard."

"What did Simon say that got you upset, Kate?" Ana questions, trying to prevent the tension between Kate and Elliott from escalating.

Kate turns her attention from Elliott and her look softens as she turns to answer Ana. "He made derogatory comments about my interview with Christian. I choose to take the high road and leave before I did something I might regret."

"What the fuck did he say, Kate?" Christian jumps in. "Fuck. He just won't quit, will he?"

"Relax Christian." Kate says. "Most of his comments were aimed at me. How I've lowered my journalistic abilities by serving as your Public Relations. According to him, I should have been asking more pointed questions as to your involved with the police investigation in Detroit."

"That fucking bastard!" Christian exclaims.

"Fucking bastard is right!" Elliott exclaims. "What the fuck does he think he is doing criticizing Kate. Your journalistic abilities are a lot higher than his – especially with the bullshit he's been publishing lately." Elliott turns to Kate. "He just wants back in your pants, Kate. I can't believe that you actually planned on marrying him three years ago."

Kate glares at Elliott. "DON'T go date go there, Elliott."

"Everyone just settle down." Grace says, trying to keep the conversation from getting out of hand. "That man is despicable, but he has the freedom of speech on his side. And if he oversteps in regards to Christian or GEH, I'm sure Christian's team of lawyers will deal with it appropriately. If it is in regards to any of the rest of us, I'm sure Carrick can deal with the matter." Grace looks around the table. "Now let's enjoy ourselves for the rest of the evening."

"Yes Mother." Both Elliott and Christian say together.


	53. Chapter 53

Ana slowly wakes up. She smiles as she realizes she wasn't having a dream. As usual, Christian had wrapped himself around her body during the night. Even after all these years, Christian holds her tight, even in sleep, in fear that she will leave. But this morning, Christian is awake and his mouth is sucking her nipple. His hand is fondling her other breast with his finger flicking her nipple. Ana moans.

Christian's mouth releases her nipple. He flashes his mega-watt smile. "Oh Good. You're finally awake. Happy Birthday Anastasia." He runs his tongue along Ana's lips before biting her lower lip and then slips his tongue into her mouth and draws her into a deep kiss. Christian runs his hand over Ana's breast and down over her hip before cupping her sex. He pulls his mouth away from Ana's to look into her blue eyes. "Mrs. Grey! You are so wet! Just what were you dreaming about?"

Ana stretches and wraps her arms around Christian's neck and looks into his grey eyes. "What I always dream about. My beloved Fifty. And what I would like to do with him." She moans when she sees his eyes glaze over. "And him to me."

"We aim to please ma'am." Christian says. "Especially on her birthday." Christian leans down to give Ana a quick kiss on her lips and then started raining kisses along her jaw and neck before heading down her body to her vagina. Christian kneels between her legs and raises her legs over his shoulders. He kisses her left knee and continues a trail of kiss up her inner thigh. He pulls back to do the same on her right leg. He smiles as Ana's moans grow louder and her body squirms. She raises her hips trying to get her vagina closer to Christian's mouth. She raises her upper body up for her hands to grip Christian's head to direct it to her throbbing vagina.

"Is this what you want Ana?" Christian says against her vagina. Without waiting for her breathless answer, Christian blows on her vagina. He runs his tongue along Ana's right upper thigh and then her left before focusing on her clitoris.

"Oh YES!" Ana shouts. "Yes it is Christian!" Christian lifts his head up to direct his mega-watt smile at her. "Oh, don't stop." Ana pleads. "Oh. My. God!" Ana shouts as Christian's mouth resumes his attack on her clitoris. Ana continues her moans as Christian continues licking and sucking.

"Come for me, Ana!" Christian encourages as he feels Ana's body close to climaxing. He continues his actions as Ana explodes, shouting "Christian" as her orgasm overcomes her body. Christian's mouth continues through her orgasm, lapping up her juices.

Christian's lips form a smile as they kiss their way up Ana's body. With each kiss, Ana moans. His cock brushes against Ana's sex, teasing the sensitive area and Ana's moans get louder. "Oh Fuck Christian, don't tease me. I want, no I need, you in me." Ana pants. "NOW!"

"Not yet, Baby." Christian says with a grin before his mouth captures one of Ana's breast. After sucking and nipping at her nipple, Christian switches to the other breast.

Ana's hands fist into Christian's hair, pushing his face into her breasts. Her hands stroke down his back to grasp his ass, trying to push his groin closer to her in an attempt to push his cock into her sex. "Please Christian. I need you now."

"Patience, Anastasia." Christian says. "Delayed gratification." He says as his lips kiss their way from her breasts to her ear. His teeth nip at her earlobe as she continues to moan.

Ana's arms move to Christian's shoulders and push so that Christian falls to the side of the bed on his back and Ana laying on top of him. With a smile on her face, Ana raises up so that she is sitting on Christian. She lifts herself up and repositions herself over Christian's rigid cock. She smiles salaciously as her blue eyes stare into Christian's grey eyes. "I told you I need you now."

"Okay. So you have me where you want me. What are you going to do now?" Christian says as he shows his mega-watt smile.

"I am going to fuck you." Ana vows. "Fuck you hard." Ana lifts herself up so that she is poised just above Christian's cock before she lowers herself back down. She continues the motion while her hands caress her breasts, teasing Christian.

"Fuck, you're beautiful Ana!" Christian says as he is enjoying his wife thriving on her sexuality. His hands reach out to grab her waist to control her motions riding his cock. After several more minutes, Ana starts screaming as her orgasm begins. Christian sits up, with Ana still on his cock to capture her mouth to muffle her screams. He continues thrusting Ana on and off his cock until he climaxes which throws Ana into another orgasm.

Ana falls down onto Christian's chest as they both try to catch their breath. Ana smiles as she runs her lips over Christian's chest, remembering there was a time when she could not have done such a thing. "I. Love. You. Christian." Ana says, kissing Christian's scars between each word.

"I love you too, Anastasia." Christian responds. "I still can't believe how good it feels when you run your lips across my chest. Even when you kiss my scars."

"I'm glad that I was able to help you conquer your fear of being touched." Ana says as she snuggles into her husband's arms. "I'm glad we both booked today off work. I could stay here like this all day."

"I would too. But I think we have six little rug rats that may say otherwise." Christian says with a smile. "I'm sure there will be an invasion before much longer." He leans down to kiss Ana's hair. "We better get up, showering and dressed before then."

He chuckles when Ana snuggles closer to him. "Hmmm…maybe if we keep the door locked and don't answer when they start pounding on the door, they will go away." Ana says.

"Do you really think children with our genes would give up that easily?" Christian says with a smirk as he pulls himself from Ana's embrace and gets out of bed. "Come Anastasia, get up."

"It's my birthday. I should be allowed to do what I want." Ana moans as she pulls the duvet over her head.

She yelps when Christian pulls the duvet off the bed, tossing it on to the floor and pulls Ana up into his arms. He carries into the bathroom, opens the shower stall door, turns the water on full force and steps in with Ana still in his arms. "Christian Trevelyan Grey! I'm going to kill you." Ana yells as she is hit with a blast of cold water before it turns warm.

Christian laughs as he releases Ana from his arms, allowing her to slide down his body. "Relax, Baby. Let me get you all nice and clean for our children."

After a round of shower sex, Christian shuts off the water and they both step out of the shower and reach for towels to dry themselves off. Just as they were finishing getting dressed there was a knock on the door.

"Mom! Are you awake?" Teddy asks. "Time to get up."

Christian walks across the bedroom and opens the door, quickly stepping off to the side to avoid getting trampled by the mob running into the room. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM." six young voices shout out as they run into Ana's open arms.

"Thank you everyone." Ana says. "This is the best present ever."

"You say that every year." Phoebe says as she rolls her eyes.

Ana giggles as she says "I know. But it is."

Lucas and Jason each take hold of one of Ana's hands. "Come, Mommy. Mrs. Taylow has bweakfast weady." They say in unison.

Downstairs the family take their seats at the dining room table. Andrew and Margaret are already at the table and wish Ana Happy Birthday when they see her. Phoebe and Teddy help Gail bring the food to the table. There were stacks of pancakes along with bacon and sausages as well as yoghurt, granola, omelets, toast and muffins. "Gail, everything looks delicious. You didn't need to go to so much trouble."

Gail laughs. "It's no problem, Ana. I asked the children what they wanted made for your breakfast and everyone said something different. And I didn't want to slight anyone by not serving what they suggested."

"You know what that means, Ana?" Christian laughs gleefully. At her questioning look he elaborates "You have to eat some of everything." Ana rolls her eyes at him. Ana fills her plate with a little bit of everything and starts digging in. She ignores the gleam in Christian's eyes as he watches her eat.

When the family finishes eating, the older children clear off the table, taking the plates and serving dishes to the kitchen. Ana hears some commotion in the kitchen and raises her eyebrows to Christian. "I told you no presents, Christian. You and the children gave me this beautiful bracelet back in May when I was the guest speaker at WSU graduation. She says as she lifts her arms to show off her bracelet. And then you gave me all that jewelry for our Vow Renewal." She giggles as she rubs her stomach. "And I have Lucky who will be joining his/her siblings in a few months." Ana looks adoringly at Christian. "And I have the sexist man alive as my husband. What more could a girl want?"

Christian stands up and walks towards Ana saying "I think that statement deserves a reward." He places a hand at the back of Ana's head and lowers his mouth to hers. When he lifts his lips, he looks at Ana with a gleam in his eyes and whispers "You haven't listed the presents I gave you earlier in the bedroom and shower." He puts his hand to his chest. "I'm wounded."

Ana balls up her napkins and throws it at him. "Jackass." She giggles and adds "Although it was very delightful and I thoroughly enjoyed every second of it, you give that to me every day. I thought birthday sex was supposed to be extra special."

"Well, Mrs. Grey, the day isn't over." Christian says.

"Too much information!" Margaret says with laughter in her voice.

Before Ana can respond, the children re-enter the dining room with a large wrapped gift basket and set it on the table in front of Ana. Ana pulls on the ribbon holding the cellophane around the basket and pulls the cellophane away. Attached to the handle of the basket is an envelope which Ana opens and reads the enclosed card.

_HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM_

_You are invited to join us for picnic lunch_

_In Ana's Meadow_

_Today at Noon sharp_

_Please give this basket to Mrs. Taylor_

_So that she can fill it with the food_

_That we will help her prepare this morning._

_Love,_

_Teddy, Phoebe, Carrick, Christiana, Jason and Lucas_

"Oh My!" Ana says. "This is a wonderful birthday present." She smiles at Christian before she turns back to the children and whispers in a stage voice "Can I invite Daddy join us for the picnic too?"

Christiana jumps up and down before shouting "Of course!" She runs over to Christian and climbs up onto his lap and says "The family picnic wouldn't be complete without Daddy."

Christian laughs and gives Christiana a quick kiss on her cheek. "That's my girl." He looks at Ana with a smirk "Well, Ana?"

Ana returns his smirk as says "Christian, if you're a good boy, would you like to join the children and me for a picnic lunch in the meadow?"

"And if I'm a bad boy?" Christian questions.

He laughs as Ana blushes and there is a hitch in her voice when she responds "I'll have to think about that."

"Isn't Andrew coming to the picnic too?" Phoebe asks. "And Grandma Margaret?"

"Your father invited me, Phoebe, but I declined. Sitting on a blanket is for people much younger than me." Margaret says. She laughs as she adds "If I get down, I may not get back up without doing damage to my hip."

Andrew says "Sorry Phoebe. I have a test at school that I can't miss. Your school may be having a professional development day for the teachers, but my high school doesn't." Andrew stands up and walks over to Ana. "Ana, this gift is from me. Happy Birthday." He says as he hands her a gift bag.

Ana takes the bag from Ana and reaches inside and pulls a bundle wrapped in tissue. She pulls back the tissue and pulls out a sapphire blue silk scarf. "Oh, it's beautiful." She stands up to kiss Andrew on the cheek. "Thank you very much Andrew."

"You're welcome. When I saw the color, I thought of your eyes." Andrew responds.

"I have something for you too, Ana." Margaret says as she reaches across the table to hand Ana a gift.

"Thank you Grandma Margaret." Ana says as she takes it. Ana pulls off the wrapping paper to reveal a rectangular jeweller's box. She opens the box and pulls out a locket. She gasps when she opens the locket. "Oh my God! I love it." She jumps up and runs over to throw her arms around Margaret before kissing her on the cheek.

"What's in the locket?" Christiana asks.

As Ana wipes the tears from her face, she takes the locket to Christian for him to fasten it around her neck. "It's a picture of your father as a baby." Christian kisses the back of her neck after he fastens the chain. Ana returns to her seat.

"Can I see?" Christiana asks. Ana walks over to her daughter, opens the lockets and leans down for Christiana to see the picture. "That's Teddy!" Christiana exclaims.

Ana laughs and looks at Christian. "No honey. Teddy does look like your Daddy, but his eyes are a different color."

Teddy groans. "Am I always going to be compared to Dad?"

Ana walks over to Teddy and ruffles his hair. "There are worse things in life than to be compared to Christian Grey."

"Sorry Teddy, you'll just have to get used to it." Christian says.

Lucas has climbed up on Ana's lap and reaches for the basket. "Mommy! More presents."

Ana looks inside the basket and sees a small wrapped box. She tears off the paper to find a red box labelled 'Cartier'. "Oh Christian! What have you bought me now?" She opens the box and finds a charm in the shape of a picnic basket. "Oh how lovely. A charm for my bracelet as a memory for today's picnic lunch."

Lucas tips over the basket and says "Mommy. More." as an envelope falls onto the table.

Ana picks up the envelope and opens it to find a card inside.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY DARLING ANASTASIA

Ten years ago I promised you Hearts and Flowers

You have my Heart everday

Tonight we fly to New York City for the weekend

Tomorrow I will be taking you to the Opera Lakme for the Flower Duet

"Oh. My. Gawd!" Ana exclaims. She lifts Lucas off her lap and rushes across the room to wrap her arms around Christian. She pulls Christian's mouth down to hers for a deep, earth shattering kiss. Christian wraps his arms around Ana to pull her onto his lap. He runs his hands over her back and his hands start to run over the cheeks of her ass when he hears the younger children giggling and laughing.

Christian moves his hands up grasp Ana's arms and he reluctantly pulls his mouth back from hers. He whispers in her ear "We have an audience." He laughs when Ana blushes.

Ana pulls herself out of Christian's arms. "Well, I guess I better get this basket to Mrs. Taylor so that she can get it ready for our special lunch." She looks around the room at her family. Tears begin to form in her eyes as she says "Thank you everyone, this is the best birthday ever."

"Oh Mom!" Phoebe exclaims as she rolls her eyes. "You say that every year."

Christian laughs. "And that's why we have to up the ante every year."

Ana rolls her eyes at that statement. "Like you need an excuse to give me gifts."

Christian pulls Ana back into his arms. "You're right. I don't. I've always wanted to give you the world. I'm just glad that you now accept them as gifts rather than insisting that they were only on loan."

Just before noon, Christian and Ana walk into the kitchen hand-in-hand. Ana is still wearing her new locket, as well as her charm bracelet. She has used the scarf from Andrew to tie her hair back. The children are gathered around the breakfast bar helping Gail putting the final items into the birthday basket. "We've got everything, Daddy!" Christiana exclaims, jumping up and down in her excitement.

Christian smiles as he ruffles her hair. "That's great! Is everyone ready?"

"YES!" the children all shout as one.

"Come on then, let's go out to Ana's Meadow." Christian says as he picks up the basket and carries it in one hand while he holds Ana's hand with the other.

"Mommy, why is the meadow named after you?" Jason asks as the family walks outside.

"I fell in love with the meadow when your Father first brought me here to see the house. I loved the house too, but I really loved the meadow. I had visions of using it like we are today – sitting on a blanket, having a picnic, children running around playing with one another." Ana explains to her son.

"You saw us in your vision, all those years ago?" Jason asks as his eyes grow wide.

"Well, no one specifically, although I did see a copper headed boy and a brown haired girl. Just the thought of enjoying time outdoors with my loving husband while our children enjoy playing in the surrounding area." Ana laughs. She sneaks a side glance to Christian before adding "I didn't envision so many children. But I wouldn't change anything."

The family have arrived at the meadow and Ana gasps at the sight in front of her. Four large blankets have been positioned to form an oversized blanket large enough to accommodate the large family. In the middle of the blankets are several coolers. "Oh my! This is incredible." She turns and gives Christian a kiss.

"Cooooome on Moooom." Phoebe whines. "You can kiss Dad later. Let's eat. I'm hungry."

Christian chuckles as he pulls back from Ana. "Well, we can't let our children starve." He sits down on the blanket and starts opening the coolers and baskets. After setting up Jason and Lucas with a plate of sandwiches and vegetables, Christian and Ana make sure that Carrick and Christiana are managing on their own like their older siblings. Once they assure themselves that the children are eating, Ana and Christian make up plates for themselves.

After everyone has eaten, Christian gathers everything together and places them back in the coolers and baskets to be returned to the house. He leans back, supporting himself on his arms while Ana lays down with her head on his lap. They are watching their children run around the meadow playing games with each other. Ana looks up to stare lovingly at her husband. "Thank you, Christian. This has been a fantastic day. I've always loved this meadow. It is great that the children are able to run around free to blow off energy. And we don't have to worry about security as we would in a park."

Christian runs his hands through Ana's hair. "I know you do Baby. Remember, that's one of the reasons we bought this place." He laughs as he says "I can still remember the look on your face when the real estate agent kept talking about how this area could serve as a paddock for horses." He leans down to kiss Ana. What was intended to be a brief kiss quickly turns into a deep kiss as Ana's tongue invades his mouth. Christian's hand caresses Ana's baby bump before moving up to cup her breast and his thumb rub her nipple until it hardens. Ana moans and shifts closer to Christian.

They both groan as they hear Kate's voice "Who's watching the children?"

"Fuck off Kate." Christian says when he is able to find his voice.

"Sorry Bro." Elliott says as he sits down on the blanket. "I told Kate not to interrupt the two of you, but if we let you go on much longer, it was going to get quite pornographic." He lifts his hands up. "Not that I would object, but hey, there _are_ children present."

"Fuck off Lelliott." Christian says with a smirk. "How do you think those children got here?"

"So what extravagant gift has Mr. Money Bags given you this year?" Kate asks Ana as she takes a seat on the blanket.

Ana beams as she tells Kate about the weekend trip in New York. Kate's eyes light up as she tells Ana various stores to check out. Ana just rolls her eyes as she listens because she has her own plans and they involve Christian not stores.


	54. Chapter 54

"Relax Anastasia." Christian smiles fondly at his wife as he pulls her close to him. They are in a limousine travelling through the streets of New York City. They had flown overnight from Seattle, arriving early Saturday morning in New York City in honor of Ana's birthday.

"I can't help it Christian." Ana replies. "I've never seen an opera performed at The Metropolitan Opera House before. And I love the fact that my first opera will be _Lakme_. I loved the music when you first played it for me."

"We haven't been before?" Christian questions. "I'm sorry Ana. I thought we would have had the opportunity at some point during the past ten years."

Ana snuggles against Christian. She runs her hand along his thigh towards his groin. "Well, I think we did have plans once or twice but we never made it out of the apartment." As her hand brushes over his hardening cock, she adds "I guess we must be getting old."

"You think so, do you Mrs. Grey?" Christian says with a laugh in his voice. His tone changes to Dom mode and adds "Take off your panties and sit on my lap." As he is issuing his order, he is undoing his trousers and pulling them down to his ankles. Ana lifts her gown up and straddles Christian. Christian grabs her by the waist and lift her up and then down on his erect cock. Ana's hands grab Christian's shoulders for support. One of Christian's hands pulls down the zipper at the back of Ana's strapless gown and he pulls the top down to expose her breasts. He bends his head so that his hungry mouth feasts on one of the breasts. Ana gasps as his tongue circles around the erect nipple before nipping at it. Christian chuckles against the breast before moving his mouth to the other breast and repeating the movements. Ana's hands move to the back of Christian's neck to keep his mouth pressed against her breast. At the same time, Christian's hands are busy lifting Ana up and down on his cock. "Fuck Ana! I'm going to come!" Christian shouts.

"Faster!" Ana shouts back. A couple of more thrusts and Ana screams as her orgasm overtakes her. Her screams sent Christian over the edge as Ana is still coming back down to earth. Ana says breathlessly "I stand corrected Mr. Grey. You are certainly not getting old."

"We aim to please, Mrs. Grey." Christian says as he hands Ana his monogrammed handkerchief to clean herself. After he pulls his pants back up, Christian assists Ana in refastening her dress. As they settle back into their seats, the limousine comes to a stop. A few minutes later, Taylor is opening the rear door and waits for Christian to step out. As Christian is about to turn to assist Ana out of the car, Taylor whispers "zipper" with a smirk on his face. Christian returns the smirk as he pulls the zipper of his fly all the way up before assistant Ana out of the car. When Ana is standing beside Christian, she smirks and says "Thank you" to Taylor. Christian laughs and puts his arm around Ana to lead her into the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. Taylor follows behind them.

The trio maneuver their way through the crowd in the lobby towards their private box. Taylor stays outside the box in the hallway while Christian and Ana enter the private box and take their seats. Once settled in their seats, a waitress appears to take their drink order – wine for Christian and mineral water for Ana. Ana's excitement escalates as she looks down from their box to the stage. Christian sits back with a big grin on his face as his wife's excitement.

During the intermission neither Christian nor Ana have any desire to venture out to the crowded lobby. They have better things to do with their time - like some kinky fuckery. Christian takes great delight in bringing Ana to orgasm while she tries to muffle her moans so that they do not echo through the opera house.

At the end of the opera, Christian and Ana stay in place to give most of the crowd time to exit. After ten years of living with Christian Grey, Ana has accepted, and understands, the need to take precautions with crowds. Taylor and his staff can only do so much to protect the high profile couple. Taylor knocks at the door to the box as the signal that it was now time to leave.

Taylor follows Christian and Ana as they walk through the lobby towards the exit. The lobby still has groups of people milling around. They hear a voice call out "Christian Grey?" As Taylor places his hand on his hidden gun, Christian turns towards the voice and pales as he recognizes the man behind the voice and his companion – Stefano Lorenzo and Gabriella Romano. Standing behind Christian and Ana, Taylor also recognizes the couple and says "Oh Fuck." under his breath, still keeping his hand on his gun.

"Lorenzo." Christian says politely. "Ms Romano."

"It's Mrs. Lorenzo now." Gabriella purrs as she snuggles into Lorenzo as he puts his arm around her. Her left hand reaches over to stroke Lorenzo's chest, displaying the large diamond wedding ring on her hand.

In response to Christian's raised eyebrows, Lorenzo says "My dear Maria died last year after a three year battle with cancer. Fortunately, after I retired we were able travel the world before she took sick." Lorenzo raises Gabriella's hand to his lips to kiss the wedding ring. "Gabriella made me a happy man three months ago when she consented to marry me."

"I'm sorry to hear of your loss. And I guess congratulations are in order then." Christian says politely. "Forgive me, I haven't introduced you to my wife." He pulls Ana closer to his side. "Stefano, Gabriella, this is the Love of my Life, Anastasia. Anastasia, this is Stefano and Gabriella Lorenzo."

"Oh yes, that business venture that took so long five years ago when I was too far into my pregnancy with the first twins to travel with you." Ana says. She turns to Stefano and Gabriella. "Congratulations on your marriage." She narrows her eyes as she looks Gabriella in the eye and says "I trust you _finally_ have the husband you want?"

Gabriella stares back at Ana and says "Of course. I was anti-marriage after my first marriage ended in a nasty divorce, but Stefano and I have had such a strong connection with having worked so closely together for a number of years. When Maria lost her battle with cancer, I naturally consoled Stefano and we grew even closer together." Gabriella turned to look at Stefano and reached up to caress his cheek. "After a couple of months, he started to ask me to marry him and I eventually succumbed."

"Well, I must say Stefano is a very lucky man to have had someone so close to turn to in his sorrow." Ana says sweetly. In the background, Taylor starts coughing and quickly takes a drink from the water bottle he has in his hand.

"Did you say _first_ twins?" Stefano questions. "You mean you have more than one set of twins?"

With an arm still around Ana, Christian smiles his mega-watt smile as he says "Yes. We have had another set of twins born two years ago. Identical twin boys that time." He beams down at Ana and says "Hopefully this pregnancy will be a single birth."

"Seven children?" Stefano questions with a smile, missing the disgusted look on his wife's face. "Congratulations, Christian. You are one lucky man to have that many children. And with such a charming wife." Stefano's eyes grow sad as he says "Maria had several miscarriages and we only had two children." He smiles again and says "With a mother like Anastasia, the girls must be beautiful and with a father like you, the boys must be quite handsome." He winks and adds "And virile too, I'm sure."

Christian leans down to brush his lips against Ana's. "I am a very lucky man to have that many children with Anastasia, the Love of my Life. We always wanted to have a large family."

"Aw. With that many children, you will be sure to have many grandchildren some day." Stefano informs Christian. He smiles and says "They are even more enjoyable than children. One has the fun in spoiling them but not the heartache in having to discipline them when they are bad."

"I didn't realize you were a grandmother, Gabriella." Ana says sweetly. "How many grandbabies do you have? You must _adore_ spoiling them when they come to visit their Grandma and Grandpa."

A look of repugnance crosses Gabriella's face which she quickly tries to hide. "Oh, I'm not a grandmother." she says haughtily. "Thankfully I never had any children. The grandchildren Stefano refers to are the children of the children from his first marriage. He sees them whenever we are in Boston or Los Angeles."

"Anastasia, we should get going. We still need to do our video call to the children and it's getting late for the young ones to be up." Christian says as he caresses her cheek. He turns to the Lorenzos and says "We must say our good-byes. Again, congratulations on your marriage." Christian quickly leads Ana away before either Stefano or Gabriella have an opportunity to respond. Taylor quickly follows them at the same time ensuring that the Lorenzos did not follow them.

Once Christian and Ana are settled into the back of the limousine, Ana turns to her husband and says "Well, that was _different_." At Christian's raised eyebrow she elaborates. "I assume _she_ was the one that you almost accompanied into a BDSM club after you had sealed the Lorenzo business deal five years ago?"

Christian gasps and in a tortured voice says "You knew about that? What was almost the biggest mistake in my life?" He runs his hands through his copper hair. "Fuck! How did you find out? When? And you never confronted me about it?"

Ana looks at Christian, blue eyes staring into grey. It took all of Christian's control to maintain the eye contact. He needed to search her blue eyes for signs of her feelings. Various emotions were reflected in Ana's blue eyes as they continued to stare into the grey eyes that became more worried as time ticked away.

After several minutes, Ana closed her eyes and turned her head away from Christian so that he wouldn't see the tears starting to form in her eyes. "I never confronted you because I was afraid of what the outcome might be." She finally said softly. Her voice was so quiet, that Christian had to strain to hear the words.


	55. Chapter 55

"Afraid?" Christian questioned. "What did you think would happen?" When Ana did not answer, he said "Please, Anastasia, tell me your thoughts."

"My THOUGHTS?" Ana hissed as she turned to look at her husband. "I had many THOUGHTS. They were all rooted around my insecurity that The Bitch Troll would be proven correct and you had finally realized that I was not enough for you. That after five years of supposedly happy family life, you realized that you needed to return to a BDSM lifestyle." As she spoke, Ana's lower lip began to tremble as she fought back tears. "That kinky fuckery with me wasn't enough after all."

Christian tries to draw Ana into his arms, but she pulls away and turns to look out the window of the limousine as it continues along the streets of New York. "Ana, please look at me." Christian pleads. He reaches across the space between them to take Ana's hand in his. "Please." Ana tries to pull her hand away. When Ana still did not respond, Christian moves to kneel on the floor in front of Ana.

"Ana, Baby. Please look at me." Christian pleads as he takes both her hands in his. He groans when Ana finally turns to look at him and he sees the pain and fear in her eyes. He lifts one hand to wipe at the tears forming in her eyes. "Anastasia, please believe me when I say that has been the furthest thing on my mind since I gave you my heart ten years ago." He cups Ana's face in his hands and says "Raising a family with you is the _only_ lifestyle I've wanted since I got over the shock of Blip's existence. And we have had a happy family life. Please believe me."

"Why did you go to that club? And with another woman?" Ana whispers. "If I hadn't called when I did that night, would you have gone into that club and done whatever with _that_ woman?" Tears well up in her eyes again. "And then come home to me and the children the next day? As if nothing had happened? And you've had the arrogance of being critical of Elliott's straying eye?"

Christian pulls Ana into his arms, both of them sitting on the floor of the limousine. "Oh Baby! I never wanted to put you through this agony." Christian says, fighting back tears himself. "I can criticize Elliott because I acknowledge the responsibility of my marriage vows to you." He ignores Ana's snort of disagreement and continues "I wasn't myself that night. After a week of long, stressful negotiations, the deal had finally come together and we all had too much to drink in celebration."

At Ana's look of disdain, Christian continues "I know. That sounds like something Elliott would say. But I'm not saying that was an excuse. By the end of that week, my brain was completely fried and the alcohol I consumed during and after dinner didn't help." Christian sighs heavily. "I was missing you and the kids more each day that I was in New York. Gabriella had been hitting on me all evening and it didn't seem to matter how much I resisted, she continued with her advances. Stefano had already left the restaurant and I thought she was too drunk to go alone in a cab, so I was going to have Taylor drop her off at her apartment. After we were in the car, she gave Taylor the address of the club rather than her apartment. I have to admit that I don't know why I let her talk me into agreeing to accompany her to the club." Christian looks Ana in the eye and continues "As we were waiting to be admitted into the club, I _was_ having second thoughts and had _just_ made the decision that once the door was open I was going to leave Gabriella to enter alone, Taylor had called me back to talk to me. And it was at that point that you called me."

Christian leans forward to brush his lips against Ana's. "If I hadn't already been having second thoughts, hearing your voice would have." Christian cups Ana's face again and stares into her eyes. "Anastasia, you _have _to believe me. Despite almost giving into temptation that evening, I didn't. And I've never been tempted before or since then either. The realization of what I _almost_ did that night, and what I would have lost as a result of my actions, was enough to scare the hell out of me." He leans forward to lightly brush his lips against Ana's. "Please believe me when I say that I have no desire to beat or whip anyone." He pleads.

Ana puts her arms around Christian and Christian gathers her to his chest while Ana sobs into his neck. Christian holds Ana to him with one hand on the back of her head while the other rubs her back. "Oh Ana. I love you." As her sobs subside, Christian pulls her back to gaze into her eyes once again. "You do believe that don't you? I love and want you and only you. I've never wanted another woman since I met you." When Ana nods, Christian lowers his mouth to capture hers in a deep kiss.

When they end their kiss, Christian continues to hold Ana close to his chest. "Anastasia, how long have you had this worry and fear bottled up inside you?" Christian asks several minutes later.

Ana looks at Christian. "You mean, how long have I known?" Ana asks. When Christian nods, Ana replies "The day after you came home." At Christian's look of surprise, she continues "I was checking the pockets of your suit for Gail to send it to the cleaners and found the guest pass. I didn't recognize the name of the club and wondered why you would have it. A search on Google revealed the nature of the club." Tears start to well up in her eyes again. "I was in tears when Gail found me. When I told her what I had found, she assured me that you had not actually visited the club." At Christian's startled look, Ana said "Apparently when he got home, Jason had told Gail that he had almost handed in his resignation and, after much grilling from Gail, told her why. That's why he had called you back when you were at the door of the club."

"Yes, I know." Christian tells her. "But I only found out about that a couple of months ago when we were dealing with the Elliott situation." He kisses Ana lightly on her lips. "Rest assured that you would have the support of the staff if I ever fuck up."

"Well then, I guess you'll just have to be sure that you never do fuck up again, won't you?" Ana informs Christian. "There had also been another indication that something had happened in New York on that trip."

Christian looks startled as he looks at Ana. "What?"

"Don't you remember?" Ana asks. When Christian shakes his head, Ana says "For several nights following your return from New York, you experienced nightmares." Ana's eyes starts to glisten with tears. "You hadn't had those blood curdling screaming nightmares for several years. You have always given me credit for giving you solace in conquering your childhood demons. So I knew that something drastic had to have happened. And it didn't take a rocket scientist to put two and two together that the 'something' was connected to your decision to go to the BDSM club." Ana wipes at the tears.

"Oh fuck." Christian says. "And you never said anything to me?"

Ana quietly says "No. I was petrified of what you would say."

"Ana. Yes, my fears of what I had almost done to you caused those nightmares. I eventually managed to control my thoughts and suppressed the memory. I never even talked to Flynn about the nightmares. I convinced myself that if I never spoke of what had triggered the nightmares, it was as if it never happened." Christian says.

Christian kisses Ana again. "Ana, I am so sorry that you've lived with this for the past five years. And I'm sorry that this discussion had to take place on your birthday weekend after having come face to face with that tramp." Christian places a finger under Ana's chin to raise her face up to his. "I must admit you got some good jibes in towards her this evening." He grins.

Ana grins back. "It was probably a good thing you got me out of there when you did. I wanted to scratch her eyes out."

Christian moves back up onto his seat and pulls Ana into his embrace. The two cuddle together for the balance of the ride back to their apartment building. When the limousine pulls up in front of their building, Taylor steps out of the front seat to open the rear door. Christian steps out first and turns to assist Ana out of the vehicle.

Once Ana is standing on the sidewalk, Taylor asks her "Are you okay?" When Ana nods, he says "I thought at one point that I was going to have to try to restrain you from assaulting Mrs. Lorenzo."

Ana dabs her eyes with a tissue. "Oh you did, did you Jason?" she responds, still sniffling. "Do you really think you could have stopped me?" she says haughtily with a raised eyebrow.

"That's my girl." Taylor says. "Trust me, I would not have been trying very hard to restrain you." At Christian's raised eyebrow, Taylor responds "So fire me, Boss. It would have been worth it to see that bitch get her comeuppance." Ana's giggles.

Ana takes Christian's hand and says "Come, Mr. Grey. I believe you still have some penance to do."

Christian's eyes gleam in anticipation. "What do you have in mind, Mrs. Grey?"

"I haven't decided yet." Ana says. "Maybe I should sleep on it and let you know...eventually."

The gleam in Christian's eyes quickly diminishes and a look of apprehension crosses his face. "Ana? I thought you understood that I didn't go into that club."

"We'll talk about it upstairs." Ana says as they head to the elevator.

The elevator doors open and Taylor waits for the Greys to enter before he does. Once the doors close, Taylor stands in front of the doors with his back to his employers. When the elevator doors open to the penthouse apartment, Taylor says a quick "Good night" before heading to his quarters.

"Okay, Anastasia. We are alone now." Christian says as he runs his hands through his hair. "Am I in the proverbial dog house?"

"Why the fuck would you think that?" Ana says sarcastically. "We are in New York to celebrate my birthday. You take to me to my first opera and who the fuck do we encounter, but the slut you wanted to fuck five years ago. I was pregnant then and I'm pregnant now. How the fuck do you think I feel?"

"Ana, you must know that I love you. _Only_ you." Christian says. "And I didn't want to fuck Gabriella – then or now."

"Yes, I know you love me. I love you too, Christian. But that doesn't stop me from having insecurities that you won't fuck other women if the opportunity arises." Ana shouts, trying to hold back the tears. "You've always claimed that I'm the only woman you've ever loved. But that didn't stop you from fucking God knows how many women before me, including the fifteen you obviously thought enough of to financially support for at least the duration of your contact." She raises her clenched fists to pound on Christian's chest. "So what's to stop you from taking some woman to a BDSM club for a good ol' beating followed by a hard fuck? Especially when you're out of town and I'm back home?"

Christian grabs hold of Ana's arms and pulls them off his chest and steps back, holding Ana at arms' length. "WHAT'S TO STOP ME? YOU ARE ANASTASIA." He shouts back. "You and our children. The children that are the evidence of our LOVE for one another." He continues in a quieter voice. He drops Ana's arms and runs his hands through his hair. "For fuck's sake. What do I have to do to prove to you that I have never cheated and I have no desire or intention of ever cheating?" he asks.

"I don't know what to believe. You were so critical of Elliott when he cheated on Kate years ago and very unsympathetic towards him when he went from one bimbo to another before Kate was willing to take him back. And then just a few months ago, you were still so pious with Elliott when you caught him with his tongue down his secretary's throat. How can you be so hypocritical?"

"Elliott and Kate had already split up before my New York trip, so yes I had the right to criticize Elliott for cheating on Kate back then. As for my criticism of Elliott just a few months ago, I still feel I could be critical as I have not fucked another woman since I met you. I have, and continue, to respect our marriage vows. It's all about choice. Elliott had already experienced first hand what happens when one chooses to be unfaithful and he almost repeated it."

He flops down on the couch and puts his head in his hands. "Yes, I almost fucked up that night at the club. But I didn't. I may have came close to crossing that invisible line, but at the last second I regained control over myself and didn't step over that line." He looked up at Ana with sorrow in his eyes. "While I was standing at the door to that club, waiting for someone to open the door, images of you and the children were going through my mind. I wasn't envisioning the thrill of dominating a new submissive, I was envisioning the sorrow of facing you once I returned home if I entered that club and the repercussions when you dumped my sorry ass and took the kids away from me. In those few seconds I realized that any momentary enjoyment I might experience whipping a submissive was not worth the loss of you and the children for the rest of my life."

Tears are running down Christian's face as he continues "Just as I decided that I would leave Gabriella to enter the club on her own, Jason was demanding to speak to me in private. And before he had a chance to speak his mind, you called." Christian looked at Ana, pleading with his eyes. "There was no way in fucking hell that I was going to tell you what had almost happened. I didn't want to put you through this hell. I hoped that by ignoring the issue it would disappear. Unfortunately, you continue to have to deal with my fifty shades of fuckedupness."

Ana has given up trying to stop the flow of her tears. She crawls onto Christian's lap and puts her arms around him. "Christian, I've always loved you and all your fifty shades. I've always been terrified that you'll decide some day that kinky fuckery with me is not enough and you needed some hard core BDSM." She looks him in the eye and continues "Even though Gail told me that Jason had assured her that you had not entered the club, I was afraid to confront you because I feared that you would either admit that you had gone into the club, or that you regretted that you hadn't done so on that occasion." She reaches her hand up to caress his face. "Like you, I hoped that the issue would disappear if I ignored it. But when confronted with the woman in question this evening, my fears and insecurities took control of me."

Christian's grey eyes gaze into Ana's blue. "Ana, you are my one and only. I love our kinky fuckery and have never regretted disposing of the whips and canes when it was evident they were a hard limit for you. I chose _you_ over them ten years ago and have no desire to return to that life style." He cups her face in his hands "You and the children give my life meaning. Without you, my life would be meaningless. I have no desire or intention of fucking that up. I am sorry you had to come face to face with that woman, especially this weekend." He leans forwards to lightly kiss her. He smiles and says "Jason was right. It would have been something to have seen her get her comeuppance – especially at your hands." He grins salaciously and says "Actually it would have been very hot!" Ana giggles. "That sound is hot too!" Christian says as he pulls Ana into his arms.

Ana's arms circle Christian's neck to bring his mouth down to hers. She runs her tongue over his lips until they open and she moves her tongue into his mouth to explore. They are both breathless when they break apart several minutes later.

"Are we okay?" Christian asks huskily.

"Yes. At least I hope so." Ana answers breathlessly. She whispers in his ear "Fuck me Christian. Fuck me hard."

"Your demand is my wish, Anastasia." Christian says as he stands up with her in his arms and carries her to their bedroom.


	56. Chapter 56

"Ana, don't argue with me about this. Taylor will accompany you while you go shopping. End of story. You gave Sawyer the weekend off to spend with his family and didn't want anyone else to fill in as Taylor would be sufficient for both of us. I have some work that can't wait until I'm back in Seattle tomorrow, so I won't be leaving my office here. If you'll wait a few hours, I'll go with you. I wouldn't mind picking up some toys for the children."

"Oh alright, Jason can come with me." Ana says. "I guess it would be convenient to have him to carry the stuff Kate wants me to pick up." She sighs. "I don't know why I let her talk me into agreeing to do shopping on her behalf. She knows I hate shopping. I just hope I remember where that little antique shop is located."

"I'm sure Taylor can locate it. Antiques? Kate?" Christian questions.

"The last time Kate had been in New York with her mother, her mother was intrigued by some hurricane lamps but talked herself out of them at the time. I wanted to do something special for Mrs. Kavanaugh for doing the dresses for our Renewal ceremony and Kate suggested the lamps the other day when I told her about our trip to New York." Ana tells Christian.

"Have fun, Baby." Christian says as he kisses Ana farewell.

"Laters, Baby." Ana says before giving Christian another quick kiss before turning and heading to the door where Taylor is waiting.

A couple of hours later Ana is elated that she was able to purchase the antique lamps for Mrs. Kavanaugh. While in the shop, Ana couldn't resist looking around and picked up some silver candlesticks to give to Grace and Carrick for Christmas. After Jason stores the packages in the back of the SUV, he opens the rear door for Ana to enter the vehicle. When he gets behind the wheel, he turns and asks "Are you finished your errands, Ana?"

"No. There is one more stop. Please take me to The Plaza Hotel. I have lunch plans." Ana responds. At Jason's raised eyebrows, she says "No, it is not with Christian. And you are NOT to notify him of my plans."

When they arrive at the Plaza, Jason turns the SUV over to the doorman to arrange for parking and follows Ana into the hotel. At the entrance to the restaurant, Ana identifies herself to the hostess. "Oh, Mrs. Grey. Your guest is already here and is waiting for you. Please follow me."

At the door to the dining room, Ana turns to Taylor as says "It's okay. You can stay here. I'll be fine." She holds his stare until he sighs and reluctantly agrees. Ana rubs her hand over her baby bump and walks into the private dining room.

"Mrs. Lorenzo. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice." Ana says as she walks into the room. Ana pretends she didn't hear Jason's "Oh fuck!" as she shuts the door in his face.

"I have to admit I was surprised when you called me this morning." Gabriella replies. She extends her hand and drops it when Ana makes no attempt at shaking it.

"Yes. Well, I'm sure you can guess why I asked to meet with you." Ana says as she takes her seat at the table across from Gabriella.

"No, I'm not sure." Gabriella tells Ana.

Ana looks at Gabriella, staring her in the eye. "I want to know whether you fucked my husband or not."

"Well, you certainly have balls." Gabriella gasps. At Ana's raised eyebrow, she stammered "No, I never fucked your husband."

"But you wanted to right?" Ana pressed. "When you tried to take him to your BDSM club?"

Gabriella smiles slyly. "Well, I have to admit I wouldn't have said 'no' to him." She sighs and continues "When Stefano gave your husband a guest pass to our club, I could tell from his reaction that he recognized the name. The week had been very stressful for everyone, trying to reach an agreement for the sale of Stefano's company. I was certainly feeling the need for some relief and I felt Christian would benefit from some play as well. If our play led to a chance of a good hard fuck or two, I certainly wouldn't have refused."

Gabriella continues to smile as she sees the pain in Ana's eyes. "We had to wait for the doorman to open the door to the club. And, unfortunately for me, it must have given Christian time to rethink. He was starting to say his farewell to me when his bodyguard interrupted, demanding to speak to Christian immediately. And then, if I remember correctly, you called. By the time Christian had dealt with the interruptions, I knew I had lost any chance I had of trying to persuade him again to going into the club with me."

"So you never even did a scene with Christian, let alone fuck him?" Ana asks.

"Have you not asked him?" Gabriella questions. "What did he tell you? Do you not believe what he told you?"

"Yes, we have talked about the time he almost broke our marriage vows, but I wanted to hear your side." Ana says through gritted teeth. "You obviously were already in a relationship with one married man, Stefano Lorenzo, why go after another? Was one not enough for you?"

Gabriella shrugs. "Stefano chose to go home to his loving wife that night and, as I said, I needed relief from a very stressful week. Your husband intrigued me, so I tried to persuade him into joining me at the club. It would have just been a scene or two and maybe sex. I certainly wasn't looking to start a relationship." Gabriella looks at her scarlet fingernails before looking Ana in the eye. "I just thought I'd help him get his rocks off that night and he'd go home to you the next day. Surely you don't expect a man like that, just oozing sex appeal, to go days without some sexual relief."

"Whatever agreement my husband and I have is between us." Ana hissed. "But I certainly always gave him credit for being able to see through a tramp like you. All I can say is that he must have been very drunk that evening to have almost fallen into your trap. But I guess he sobered up and came to his senses."

Gabriella smiles slyly again and laughs. "Oh, I don't know. A man like that? Constantly involved in high pressured business deals and he just oozes sex appeal." She looks pointedly at Ana's baby bump. "And you seem to be pregnant all the time. I'm sure there will come a time he'll tire of the baby factory and the snotty nosed kids you keep popping out and venture elsewhere." Gabriella looks Ana in the eye and adds "If he hasn't already. And kudos to that woman."

"You BITCH!" Ana screams before raising her hand and slapping Gabriella. "If Christian was stupid enough to have fallen for your advances, he wouldn't deserve me or our children. But fortunately for the children and me, Christian is not a stupid man. He is a very loving, affectionate husband and father. Something I'm sure is beyond your comprehension."

Ana picks up her purse from the table and walks towards the door. She stops and turns around to say "Good riddance. I'm not staying here to have lunch with you. I doubt I'd be able to keep my food down. I certainly hope we never run into one another again."

Ana opens the door and walks into a solid wall of a man's chest. "Christian!"

"Anastasia, are you okay?" Christian asks as he pulls her into his arms. He looks past Ana and sees Gabriella with a red handprint on her face. He looks down at Ana, grins and whispers "That's My Ana." He lowers his mouth to run his tongue over her lips. When her lips part, he thrusts his tongue into her mouth to battle with her tongue. Ana grips his arms for support. When they break apart, several minutes later, they are both breathless and stand in each other's arms trying to restore their breathing. Christian runs his hand over Ana's stomach and says "Let's go, my darling wife. It's almost time to skype the kids and we still need to go toy shopping."

Taylor steps aside as his employers walk away from the private dining room. He turns to look into the room and sees Gabriella Lorenzo still standing with her hand to her redden cheek. Jason smiles and sarcastically salutes her before following Christian and Ana out of the restaurant.

At the main door to the Plaza Hotel, the trio wait for the SUV to be brought to them. No one speaks. When the vehicle arrives, Taylor opens the rear door and Ana steps in and buckles herself in, forcing Christian to walk around to the other side. Taylor gets in the drivers' seat and when he makes eye contact with Christian in the rear view mirror, he raises his eyebrow in question. "FAO Shwarz." Christian tells him.

Taylor parks the SUV in front of the store and gets out to open Ana's door for her. Christian lets himself out and joins them on the sidewalk. He takes Ana's hand and briefly closes his eyes in relief when she doesn't pull away, although her body is still very stiff.

As they move through the store, picking out toys for their children as well as their nieces and nephews, Christian is relieved that Ana gradually returns to her normal self, smiling at the displays and teasing Christian that they need to leave some stock in the store for others.

"Christian, I don't think all of these toys will fit in the SUV." Ana points out.

"No need. We'll carry out the small items and the rest will be delivered to the plane." Christian responds. He flashes his mega-watt smile before adding "That's the beauty of having our own plane. No baggage restrictions." When Ana rolls her eyes, he leans down to whisper in her ear "My palm is getting twitchy." He catches his breath when her only response is to smile serenely.

Later that evening, they are on the GP plane heading home to Seattle. Once they are in the air, Taylor excuses himself and starts to head to one of the smaller bedrooms. He stops short when Ana says "Just one minute, Taylor. I need to talk to you." He turns and looks at Ana with a questioning look on his face. He is taken aback at Ana's use of 'Taylor' instead of her customary 'Jason'.

"Yes, Mrs. Grey?" Taylor asks.

"Why did you go against my instructions this afternoon?" Ana asked in a controlled voice. "I specifically told you to not inform Christian of my errand at the Plaza. And yet he showed up within a short time." Taylor's heart plummets as he sees that her blue eyes are starting to glisten with tears. "After all these years, I thought you had accepted me as one of your employers."

"Please rest assured, Mrs. Grey, I consider any instruction from you as important as instructions from Mr. Grey." Taylor tries to reassure her. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a handkerchief to hand to her and is relieved when she accepts it. "I did not notify Mr. Grey of our stop at the Plaza. I was as surprised as you were when he showed up."

Ana turns her glare to Christian. "Christian, would you care to enlighten us then how you came to be at the Plaza, and specifically a private dining room?"

Christian stares at his wife. He doesn't remember seeing Ana this cold and enraged since the time she had discovered a text from Elena the night that he had stormed out after she had informed him she was pregnant with Teddy. He tries to flash his mega-watt smile at her, but fails. "Anastasia." He says as he reaches for her hand. When she pulls it away, he doesn't try again. He runs his hands through his hair. "You hadn't returned and neither you nor Jason were answering your phones. I started to panic. I called Welch and had him do a GPS search on your phones."

Ana's eyes widen. "Mr. Stalker Extraordinare has returned, has he?" she says sarcastically.

He looked back and forth between Ana and Jason. "I was quite surprised when Welch soon reported back to me that you were both at the Plaza! I grabbed a cab and got to the hotel as quickly as I could. Before I stormed the Front Desk demanding what room you two were having your tryst, the hostess from the dining room happened to be walking through the lobby and recognized me. She stopped and asked me if I was joining you for lunch and directed me to the private room. When I saw Jason standing guard at the door, I didn't even take the time to ask him any questions. And before I could open the door, you pulled it open at walked into me."

Ana's mouth gapes open. "You thought Jason and I were having a tryst? Fuck, this weekend just gets better and better. Is that all the trust you have in either one of us?" she asks. "Never mind the fact that you quickly assumed that I would seek revenge on your near infidelity. It's bad enough that you had such little faith and trust in me, your wife of ten years. But to assume that Jason, your most loyal employee, would betray you as well? What the FUCK were you thinking?"

Ana turns to Jason and says. "Jason, you're excused. I'm sorry I accused you of going against my instructions. Once again, you have proven to be a worthy friend." She glares at Christian before adding "I'm just sorry that not everyone views you in that manner." Ana stands up and gives Jason a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for having our backs. Good night, Jason. See you in the morning."

Jason warily looks at both Ana and Christian before saying "Good night." and quickly departing to one of the small bedrooms on board.

"What the FUCK was I thinking, Anastasia?" Christian shouts. "I knew you were still hurting after our discussion last night and then you were so insistent on having to go out in the city this morning. I was sure you were up to something, but I felt secure knowing that Jason would be with you. But then when neither one of you would answer your phone or texts, I panicked. When Welch reported that you were both at the Plaza, I lost it."

Christian cups Ana's face in his hands and stares into her blue eyes. "When you opened the door and I saw you, I was very relieved that my fears and overactive imagination were wrong." He leans down to brush his lips against hers. "I'm sorry my fifty shades of fuckedupness continue to cause us problems. I _am_ trying, and have been trying for the past ten years." He smiles and adds "But it will likely take me decades to shed all fifty." Christian's grey eyes stare into Ana's blue eyes. "Anastasia, are you still willing to continue helping me shed all of those shades?" he asks softly.

Her eyes glisten with tears again and she is unable to stop the flow. She nods her head in assent and whispers "I don't have a keychain for you this time, but my answer is Yes". Christian briefly closes his eyes in relief and captures her lips with his.

Ana starts to head to their bedroom. Christian puts a hand on her arm to stop her. "Anastasia, we still need to talk." he says softly. Ana sits back down, biting her lip and trying to hold back tears. Christian groans and reaches a finger out to wipe at the tears. "Please don't cry, Ana. I don't think I'll get through this if you do." Christian closes his eyes at the look of trepidation in Ana's eyes.

Christian turns to sit facing Ana and takes her hands in his. "The BDSM club in New York." He takes a deep breath before continuing. "When Stefano gave me the guest pass, I did indeed recognize the name. I doubt I will ever forget that place. I had been at Harvard for a month or so when Elena flew east for a weekend and I met her in New York." Ana gasps and Christian lifts a hand to caress her cheek. "I hadn't had sex since I had left Seattle and I was horny as hell and willing to do anything Elena wanted just as long I could fuck her as my reward. Her hotel room was too limiting for what she wanted to do, so she took me to the club on the Saturday night." Christian releases Ana's hands to run his hands through his hair. "At the club, Elena was uncontrollable and didn't stop even when I safe worded. At the time, I thought it was because she was as horny as I was because of the length of time we had been apart. But in hindsight, it was probably her true nature and we were in a strange city and I no longer had to worry about covering up any marks from my parents." Christian cups Ana's face in his hands. "Anyway, by the time Elena was done, I was so beaten up that the club had to provide me with medical care. Although Elena returned to Seattle as scheduled after the weekend, I wasn't able to return to school for a week or so."

At Ana's gasp, he continues "Yes, Elena beat me up almost as bad as she did Andrew. That's one of the reasons I'm determined to do whatever it takes to bring Elena to justice. Seeing Andrew lying in that hospital bed has brought all the memories back to me. I've always tried to supress them, but every so often, something happens that trigger the memories." Christian runs his hands through his copper locks. "Five years ago, when Lorenzo handed me that guest pass, I had flashbacks to the night with Elena and my injuries. Later in the evening, after having consumed too much alcohol and Gabriella's persistent attempts of trying to persuade me to accompany her to the club, my skewed sense of reasoning had me convinced that if I entered the club I might be able to rid myself of the ghosts." Christian sees the skepticism in Ana's eye. "I know, not a very bright idea. In fact one of my stupidest."

Christian sighs and cups Ana's face to raise her face to look her straight in the eye. "You _have_ to believe me that as I was standing at the entrance to that club, the images going through my mind were not from the night with Elena, or what I might do that evening in the club. It was images of the hurt and pain you would suffer when you would find out and the pain I would suffer when you dumped my sorry ass and left with the children." Christian's fingers wipes at the tears falling from Ana's eyes. "Anastasia, you left me once and I barely survived those five days before I was able to win you back. And that was when our relationship had barely begun. After being with you, and having experienced your love for five years I realised that I could not risk losing you and our children." Tears are falling down Christian's face as he says "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I caused you or the children any pain from my actions. Anastasia, I _know_ I wouldn't have survived losing you or the children." Christian continues to stare into Ana's blue eyes as he continues "I am not proud that I had almost succumbed to the temptation of experiencing the activities of a BDSM club, even for an evening, but it was a good wake up call for me. When faced with the opportunity of crossing the line, I found I couldn't do it. A few hours of possible pleasure in the club would not have been worth the lifetime of punishment of losing you and the children." Christian continues to hold Ana's stare as he says "And I really don't think I would have experienced any pleasure. I had no desire, then or since, for Gabriella, or anyone other woman except you, Anastasia. _You_ are the only woman I have ever loved. And you have been the _only _woman I have wanted since the day you stumbled into my office."

Ana is crying uncontrollably and Christian pulls her into his arms, rubbing her back while she soaks his shirt with her tears. After several minutes, she pulls back and cups his face with her hands. "You are the only I have ever loved. Thank you, Christian, for finally talking to me about that night five years ago. As I told you last night, I was aware of your opportunity and I've lived in fear for five years that either Jason lied to Gail about you not entering the club, or that you regretted not having followed through on Gabriella's blatant invitation." Ana raises a finger to wipe at the tears on Christian's face. "And thank you for telling me about the extreme abuse you suffered at the hands of Elena." Ana tries to smile as she says "But why the fuck you still continued your relationship with her, I'll never understand. That should have been your wake up call that she was a Bitch Troll and to stay away from her."

Christian returns her attempt at a smile. "Fifty shades of fuckedupness, Baby. Fifty shades." He rubs his nose along her nose. "But you have been peeling away the shades for the past ten years. And, hopefully, this weekend has been away another few shades." He flashes a smile before adding "Maybe by our fiftieth wedding anniversary, I'll be normal."

Ana tries to laugh. "But I wouldn't recognize you then. I don't think you'll ever be 'normal'. You'll always be my Fifty. And I wouldn't want it any other way." She caresses his chest, which was once a no-touch zone, and says "But you are MINE and belong to ONLY me. And don't you forget it." She grabs his shirt with both hands and pulls his mouth to hers. She lightly nips his lower lips with her teeth before thrusting her tongue into his mouth. When they break apart several minutes later, both are gasping for air. Ana tries to catch her breath and says "Fuck me, Christian. Fuck me hard."

Christian laughs as he picks Ana up in his arms and heads to the bedroom. "Whatever you wish, Mrs. Grey."


	57. Chapter 57

"So how was the weekend in the Big Apple?" Kate asks Ana on Monday morning.

Ana bites her lip and is thankful that Kate phoned rather than showing up at Grey Publishing. "I got the antique hurricane lamps you asked me to pick up. They're at the house if you want to pick them up, or I can take them over to your place the next time I go." Ana says.

"What's wrong, Ana?" Kate says. "I can tell from your voice that something is bothering you."

Ana's eyes start to glisten with tears and is doing her best to hold them back. "Christian and I had a … shall we say disagreement while we were in New York."

"Disagreement?" Kate questions. "About what?"

Ana bites her lip to keep it from trembling. "He…he… almost ch…cheated on me five years ago."

"WHAT! That fucking son of a bitch!" Kate shouts. "I can't believe it! You are his entire world. I can't believe he would have risked losing all of that."

"He claims that's what brought him to his senses and he refrained from going into a sex club…with a woman." Ana manages to get out between the tears. "But it's difficult to believe that he didn't give in to the lure of going to a BDSM club when presented with an opportunity with no strings attached. And never said anything."

"Ana, you need to calm down." Kate says. "I'll be right over. We need some girl time."

A short time later, Kate rushes into Ana's office without taking the time to knock. Ana is curled up on the couch in her office. Her face is stained with tears and a pile of wet tissues are on the floor. Kate sits down beside Ana and pulls her into her arms. "Oh honey. I'm so sorry. I brought some ice cream with me, but I didn't take the time to locate a pair of break-up pjs."

Ana manages a slight smile at the memories of the times she would try to console Kate after another romance break-up during their college days. Kate had a special pair of pjs she kept just for such occasions and she would wear them as they sat in their apartment eating ice cream. "Thanks, Kate." They both sit on the couch, eating out of the container of ice cream.

"Okay. Tell me the details." Kate says after they have devoured a good portion of the contents of the ice cream container. "I still can't believe that Christian would even think of cheating on you. He is still as besotted with you as when you first met." Kate looks at Ana. "And trust me. I see the look in his eyes every time you are in the same room." Kate sighs as she adds "I think that's one of the problems with my relationship with Elliott. He has never had that mesmerized look in his eyes when he looks at me."

Ana twists a tissue in her hands as she gives Kate a summary of the weekend in New York after she and Christian ran into the Lorenzos at the opera. Kate pulls Ana into her arms to try to comfort her. "Ana, you've known about this club for five years and never confided in me?"

"Well, at the time you had your own problems. You and Elliott had separated just a few months earlier and you were trying to deal with Elliott's various indiscretions." Ana answers. "And I never confronted Christian because I was afraid of the possible repercussions. Even though Jason had assured Gail that Christian had not entered the club, I didn't want to risk discovering that Jason had lied. Or even worse, that Christian would have regrets for not having proceeded on into club and would eventually seek out another club or a submissive."

Kate holds Ana at arms' length and looks her in the eye. "Ana, you've said that Christian tried to assure you this weekend that he has no interest in BDSM clubs or taking on a submissive as you are the one and only for him. Do you believe him?"

"Yes." Ana whispers. "At least I want to and deep down I do believe him. But even after all of these years, I still find it hard to believe that Mr. Sex on Legs, billionaire Christian Grey, who could have any woman he wants actually wants me, little mousy, virginal, Ana Steel. I still fear that he will come to his senses one day and wants more than I can give him."

"Oh Ana." Kate says. "I think most women have that fear about their husbands." Kate stands up and starts pacing the room. "I guess what you have to ask yourself is whether you want to live with that fear hanging over your head every day, or try to ignore it and live each day as it comes. And then if what you dread does happen, at least you would have your memories of the good times." Kate picks up a tissue and dabs her eyes. "At least that's what I've been doing."

"Kate, I've never really asked you this as I wasn't sure how you would take it. You stayed with Elliott after discovering he had had an out of town weekend fling with an ex-girlfriend but then did kick him out when you actually caught him fucking another woman." Kate nods her agreement with the past events. "But you went back to him a few years later. Why?"

Kate leans forward and put her head in her arms. "I love him." She says quietly.

"But is love enough?" Ana asks her friend. "What about trust?"

"I don't know." Kate says softly. "I guess it boils down to whether life is preferable with or without him. She looks at Ana with tears in her eyes. "Even though I'd had a fling with Pierre shortly after my divorce was finalized and then went as far as getting engaged to Simon, I never stopped loving Elliott. I tried, God knows I tried. As Elliott went from bimbo to bimbo, I tried to get on with my life. When Ava was lying in that hospital bed looking so helpless all I could see was that she was a product of the love we once had. And Elliott had the same view. We provided support for one another during that difficult time and we grew together again." Kate wipes at the tears running down her face. "We still have our occasional difficulties, but we have chosen to stay together." Kate looks Ana in the eye. "And yes, I know about the incidence with his secretary at the Fairmount a couple of months ago."

Ana gasps. "You do? How?"

Kate looks at Ana. "Believe it or not, Elliot told me. Granted it was a few days after the fact, but he told me. I already had my suspicions. It was strange that Elliott was delivered home by Taylor that evening and you left with Taylor. And there is no way that Christian would have rented just a regular hotel room for a tryst with you, bet or no bet. He has always treated you like a queen." Kate looks down at her fingers tangling with her tissue. "Maybe I'm deceiving myself, but I have to believe that Elliott was being set up by his secretary and he succumbed in a moment of weakness. And as it turned out, she had the assistance of that Bitch Troll, Elena Lincoln."

"Yes, Elliott was set up by the infamous Bitch Troll and his secretary. But if Christian hadn't intervened, they would have succeeded. How can you trust Elliott to not fall into a similar trap at some point in the future? Regardless of whether he would be set up or not, ultimately the final decision is his to make. How can you live with that fear?" Ana asks Kate.

"As I've said, because I love him." Kate answers. "I experienced life without Elliott and tried to make a life with someone else. But when we shared the pain of our daughter being injured in an accident, we turned to each other for support. We didn't turn to the partners we were with at the time."

"So regardless of what Elliott does, or who he might fuck, you'll stay with him?" Ana asks in disbelief.

"I don't know." Kate admits. "I don't view myself as a doormat and allow Elliott to do anything he wants and I accept it without question. But I would have to weigh the pros and cons. It would boil down to how bad he had fucked up and whether I could continue living with him or if the children and I would be better off without him."

"So you suggest that I do a pro/con list about Christian's near indiscretion?" Ana asks Kate.

"If you think that might help you to see the overall picture." Kate tells her friend. "But I can't envision either one of you being able to live apart from the other. When you are both in the same room neither one of you can keep their eyes off the other. When Christian walks into the room, your eyes light up and so does his when you enter the room." Kate takes hold of Ana's hands and looks her in the eyes. "I was in Bermuda ten years ago when you did leave Christian. But from what I've heard over the years, both of you were devastated and after only five days were both willing to make adjustments in your lives in order to be together. That was very early in your relationship. Now with ten years of memories and your seventh child on the way, could you turn your back on all that?"

"I don't want to." Ana says. "But I don't know if I could live with always wondering when Christian leaves on a business trip what temptations he might give in to. Or whether he has a beautiful mistress or submissive stashed somewhere here in Seattle. God know, he has the financial resources to set up a secret love nest."

Kate grabs hold of Ana and gently shakes her. "Ana. You have to stop thinking so little of yourself. You are one of the most beautiful women I know. And believe me, Christian is still as mesmerized by you as he was at the beginning."

Ana hugs Kate. "Kate, you've always been a good friend. Thanks for the talk."

"Come on, I'll take you for lunch. Otherwise, I know you won't eat today." Kate says.

"I'm not hungry, but I know I have to eat for the sake of Lucky." Ana says as she rubs her baby bump.

On their way out, Ana stops to update Hannah on her lunch plans. The door opens and Christian walks into Hannah's office. "Christian! What are you doing here?" Ana asks.

Christian pulls her into his arms for a kiss. Ana's mouth opens in surprise and Christian takes the opportunity to explore her mouth with his tongue. Ana's hands raise up to circle around Christian's head to keep his mouth on hers. Christian's hands run over Ana's back and down to cup her ass, pulling her even closer into his arms.

Several minutes later, they break apart, both breathless. Ana blushes when she sees both Hannah and Kate fanning themselves. Christian laughs, but keeps his arms tight around Ana. "I love you, Anastasia."

"I love you too, Christian." Ana responds when she finds her breath. "But you haven't answered my question."

Christian sighs and releases his hold on Ana to run his hands through his hair. "I have to fly to Chicago right away and won't be back until tomorrow. My team in Chicago is fucking up a new deal big time and I need to go in person to get things straightened out. I don't want to go, but Ros can't go as she's heading to Taiwan first thing in the morning." Christian's grey eyes stare into Ana's blue eyes. "I'm on my way to the airport now but wanted to stop in here to tell you in person, rather than just a phone call." Christian looks sheepish as he continues "And since Ros needs to take the GEH plane tomorrow, I'll need to use your GP plane because I won't be back before she needs to leave." Christian flashes his mega-watt, panty-melting smile at Ana. "So I guess I'm here to ask 'Can I borrow the keys to your plane?'"

Ana laughs. She tilts her head as she looks at Christian. "I don't know…I'll have to think about it." She bites her lips as she pretends to ponder the question. "I guess so. Just don't make a habit of it, Mr. Grey. Aren't you lucky that you have access to a second plane?"

"We were just about to go out for lunch. Do you have time to join us?" Kate asks Christian.

"Sorry, no. Jason and I still need to go out to the house to get a change of clothes as we hadn't had the foresight to stock the GP plane." Christian says. He pulls Ana back into his arms to whisper in her ear "I had hoped for a quick Ana lunch, but I guess that will have to wait." He laughs at her blush before giving her a kiss. When he steps away from Ana, he returns Kate's smirk. "Bye everyone. Ana, I'll skype you and the kids tonight."

"Okay." Ana says quietly.

Christian sees the apprehension in her eyes and pulls her back into his arms. "Ana, you have _nothing_ to worry about. You are the only woman I want to be with. Please trust me. I will be back as soon as I can tomorrow."

"Bye, Christian. I'll have the kids gathered with me for your call this evening." Ana says as she caresses his face. "Kate and I will walk out with you."

"Thank you John for seeing me on such short notice." Ana says as she walks into John Flynn's office. When she had returned to her office from lunch, she found she was unable to concentrate on her work. She kept envisioning Christian with other women in BDSM clubs. She called Dr. Flynn's office and was able to get an appointment late in the afternoon.

"Anytime, Ana." John says. "I know when you call it must be an emergency." He waits for Ana to take a seat before saying "What's the problem?"

Ana tells him about the weekend in New York City and what Christian had confirmed and revealed to her. She also told him about her conversation with Kate earlier in the day and Kate's revelations in her outlook on her marriage and trust issues with Elliott. "I can't live like this, John. When I returned to my office after lunch, I found I couldn't concentrate on my work. I can't get the image out of my mind of Christian going to a club in Chicago to beat the shit out of a consenting submissive." Ana takes a tissue out of the box and dabs at her eyes.

John looks at Ana. "As you know, I'm tied to patient/doctor confidentially and anything I have ever discussed with you in the past concerning Christian has only been with his consent." Ana looks up at him, stricken. "But I do not think I'm breaking any laws by telling you that Christian has never discussed this incident five years ago with me at all."

Ana gasps in surprise. "He never talked to you about the demons that he claims raised up when he was given a guest pass to the club where Elena beat the shit out of him?" At Flynn's shake of denial, Ana says "But I thought he told you everything? Do you think he was lying to me about his past experience with that club?"

"I doubt he will ever tell me everything." Flynn responds. "He has been open with me about many things, but I always felt he never told me everything. And I learned that I could only push him so far before he would clam up and/or storm out. I always felt that many of the things he did tell me were done for shock value. But if he was suppressing the memories, he would more than likely refrain from talking to me about them."

"So he never talked to you about the prospect of being unfaithful to me?" Ana asked. "Not even after the incident five years ago?"

"No, Ana. He didn't." Flynn said in his most professional voice. His voice softened as he said "Having seen the change in him since you entered his life, I cannot imagine him _ever_ being unfaithful to you. You brought him alive and I don't think he would ever want to return to the life he had before you. Ana you are the best thing that ever happened to him and Christian Grey is a smart man. I can't see him doing anything that could jeopardize your relationship."

"Thank you John." Ana says with an attempt of a smile. "Even after ten years, I still cannot believe that Christian is satisfied with me." Ana says as she wrings her hands. She looks up at John with tears in her eyes. "I mean, Christian is gorgeous and filthy rich. He could have any woman he wanted. And for some reason he says he wants me. I'm afraid that someday he will come to his senses and replace me."

Flynn returns to his professional voice. "Ana. We have discussed this many times before. You are a very beautiful woman – inside and out. You have to have more faith in yourself. I have seen the photos that your friend Jose took of you before you had met Christian. You were beautiful then." When Ana is about to interrupt, he continued "Christian Grey's money may provide you with the finer things in life and a pampered lifestyle with regular visits to spas, but you were beautiful before all of that. Christian Grey was attracted to the woman that was Ana Steele, not a woman he could mold you into."

"Ana, over the past few years, you have gained confidence. Not just as Mrs. Christian Grey, but as Anastasia Grey, balancing a very successful career as well as a growing family. Christian may have gifted you Grey Publishing, but it has thrived under your direction. I know Christian is extremely proud of your successes."

"I know he is, John." Ana says. "But I still have to pinch myself to believe my wonderful life is not just a dream." She bites her lip before saying "I think that's why this past weekend has upset me so much. I tried to suppress the knowledge of the club as I was afraid to raise the issue in case Christian did express regret for not going into the club. I do want to believe him that he had made the decision to not enter the club before Jason's interruption. But my insecurities are taking over control."

"Ana, you are the only one that can conquer your insecurities." Flynn tells her. "But, believe me, Christian Grey loves you with all his heart and worships the ground you walk on. He always has, and I'm sure he always will."

"I know he does. He tells me so every day." Ana says as she sniffles. She looks at Flynn with a slow smile forming on her face. "And he shows me that every day as well through his actions." The smile turns to a frown as she continues "That's why this past weekend has upset me so much. If he had been able to keep his near indiscretion a secret for five years, what other secrets might he be hiding from me."

"No one but Christian would be able to answer that for you, Ana." Flynn tells her. "But don't forget, you kept your knowledge about the incident from him for five years as well." He holds up his hand when Ana tries to interrupt. "I know, you didn't want to confront the issue in fear of what he might say and chose to ignore it all this time. But isn't that Christian has done as well? And maybe he chose to ignore the issue to not cause you any concern."

"Ana. I have some homework for you. I want you to make a list of the pros and cons of whether you think you want to stay with Christian or not. I would also like you to jot down your thoughts as to what you think your life would be like now if you had never met Christian Grey, as well as what your life would be like if you had met him, but the two of you had not gotten back together after you had walked out after he had beat you with the belt."

"Okay. Thank you again John for seeing me on such short notice." Ana says as she stands and leaves the office.


	58. Chapter 58

The following morning, Ana calls Hannah to say that she would be working from home. She had spent a restless night, not being able to sleep without Christian in bed beside her. The children were disappointed that their father wasn't home for dinner the previous night as they had not seen him since he and Ana had left on Friday to fly to New York City for the weekend. The children were ecstatic when Christian did his video call, but by the time each child had given their father an update of their weekend with their grandparents, there wasn't much time left for Ana and Christian to talk. They didn't have an opportunity for private talk as the children were reluctant to leave the room as long as their father was on the screen. And then Christian got a call that he was needed back in the meetings.

When she gave up trying to sleep, she decided that she would stay home and do the homework assigned to her by John Flynn. She put on a happy face during breakfast with the children and got the older ones off to school. She told the children that she was working from home that day. She promised that she would get her work done in the morning so that when Carrick and Christiana got home from their half-day at school she would spend extra time with them and the younger twins. Seeing the disappointment on Teddy and Phoebe's faces, she assured them that she would do something special with them when they arrived home.

After the children left for school and Mrs. Livingston was keeping Jason and Lucas occupied playing in the meadow, Ana decided to enjoy the unexpected warm sunny day by sitting on the patio. She gathered a notebook and pen and took her glass of lemonade outside. As she settled herself onto a lounger, she kicked off her flip flops and stretched her legs out. She sighed as she realized that with her expanding stomach, this was probably the last time for awhile that she would fit into the shorts. She had put on one of Christian's t-shirts for extra comfort.

Ana sighed as she started compiling her lists:

_What would life be like if I had never met Christian Grey?_

_I would have likely gone with Hyde to New York, seduced and later blackmailed by him as he had done to previous assistants_

_Left employment at SIP a few months later, just as Hyde's previous assistants had done_

_Next employer?_

_Due to low Self-esteem would have been devastated, how would I have coped?_

_What would be life be like if Christian & I had not gotten back together after the belt incident?_

_I would have gone with Hyde to New York, seduced and later blackmailed by him as he had done to previous assistants_

_Left employed at SIP a few months later, just as Hyde's previous assistants had done_

_Next employer?_

_with low Self-esteem would have been devastated, how would I have coped?_

_Always wondered what life would have been like if I had either stayed with Christian or if we had reconciled _

_Pros staying with Christian__Cons staying with Christian_

_I love him Can I trust him anymore?_

_He loves me Fear he will realize I'm not enough_

_Mr. Sexpert Unable to lead a normal family life due to extreme wealth_

_Children love him Always wonder what secrets he is keeping from me_

_He loves the children_

_Hands-on father_

_Kept secret for 5 years, but his love never waivered_

_Always tried to protect me_

_ -omits details, but does not lie_

_He worships me_

_He does everything possible to protect me_

_He supports me in everything I do_

_Master of my universe_

Ana continues to ponder the questions, but has already realized that the pro list is much long than the con. "_The cons aren't really even valid. What's a 'normal' family life? Surrounded by security is the only life the children have ever known. And that wouldn't change whether I'm with Christian or not. I've have always had the fear that Christian will decide I'm not enough. But he often expresses similar fears about me. And life with My Fifty, with all his shades of fuckedupness is much better than life would have been without him. Christian Grey is the best thing that ever happened to me."_

Ana starts to smile as she reminisces various times over the years that Christian went out of his way to show his love and admiration of her. For someone who used to proclaim he had no heart and didn't do flowers, he continually has demonstrated differently. And it has been because of her. Ana sets her notebook aside, lies back on the lounger and closes her eyes. She starts to think of ways that she can show _her _Fifty that he means the world to her.

"Ana!" Luke calls to her, jolting her out of her thoughts.

Ana opens her eyes and turns to look at Luke. He is standing by the lounger with Gail at his side. Her eyes widen at the expression on their faces. "What's wrong, Luke? Gail?"

Luke swallows and is having trouble speaking. He pulls himself together to finally say "I was in the Security Office when a distress call came in. From the SUV that either Lopez or Stone was driving."

"Are they okay?" Ana gasps. She pales as she makes the connection. "Oh my God! Carrick and Christiana! Ricardo and Irene would have been driving them home from school. Are they okay?" Gail sits beside her on the lounger and puts her arms around Ana.

"I don't know." Luke says gravely. "There was no audio communication from the vehicle. I've called 911, providing the GPS location. Reynolds is already on his way to that location and will call me with a status report when he gets there. I haven't been able to reach Taylor or Mr. Grey. They should be in the air as Taylor had previously called me to say that they were boarding the plane and would soon be taking off."

Before Ana can say anything, Luke's phone rings. "Give me some good news Reynolds." Luke says as he answers the phone. He listens for a few minutes, becoming more shaken. "I can't reach Taylor. They must already be in the air. I'm with Mrs. Grey right now. We'll meet you at the hospital." He disconnects and turns to Ana.

"Ana. Lopez, Stone and the children are alive, but injured. They are being transported by ambulances to the hospital. Reynolds will meet us there." At the look on the women's faces, Luke shakes his head. "No, I don't know how severe the injuries are."

Ana is trembling. Gail stands up and pulls Ana to her feet. "Come, Ana. We need to get to the hospital." Gail looks at Luke. "What happened?"

"They were hit broadside by a car that ran a red light. The other driver is dead. There were no passengers in that car. Reynolds said that it hasn't yet been confirmed, but it appears that the car was speeding and the driver was drunk." Luke says.

"I'll stay here and update everyone here." Gail says. She looks Luke straight in the eye and he nods to indicate her unspoken message. She would stay at the house to be there for when Teddy and Phoebe got home from school. And Luke needed to ensure that Cooper and Wilson took extra precaution transporting the older Grey children home. It was unknown at this point if the accident was simply an accident or an attempt to harm family members of Christian Grey.

Gail assisted Ana into the SUV that Luke had waiting for them at the front door. As they drive away, Luke says "I'll get you there as quick as I can, Ana. Just hang in there." trying to give Ana some comfort. He is concerned that Ana is numb, not saying anything and her only movement is to occasionally wipe at the tears running down her face.

Reynolds is waiting for them at the ER entrance. The two men quickly exchange vehicle keys and Luke instructs Reynolds to go to SEA-TAC to meet the GP plane and bring Christian to the hospital as quickly as possible. Luke escorts Ana into the hospital and heads to the reception desk.

"This is Anastasia Grey. Her children Carrick and Christiana, along with their security, were just transported here by ambulance from a car accident. What is their status? Can she see them?" Luke says.

"One moment, please." The receptionist says. She taps on a keyboard and reads the computer screen. "The ambulances have arrived and all four are currently being treated. Please take a seat and you will be informed when there is an update available."

"Thank you Rebecca." Ana says after reading the Receptionists' name tag. "Is my mother-in-law, Dr. Grace Trevelyan_-_Grey on duty?" Ana asks quietly.

"The children are Dr. Trevelyan's grandchildren? No, I'm sorry she isn't working today." Rebecca responds.

Ana bites her lip as she turns to Luke. "I'll call Mr. and Dr. Grey." Luke says as he pulls out his phone. As he is ending his call to Grace, he sees the paparazzi starting to arrive. Luke goes back to Rebecca and asks her to call Hospital Security immediately as there may soon be problems. Luke calls the Security Office at Grey Manor and demands that any security that could be spared get to the hospital immediately as Hospital Security will not be able to handle the paparazzi.

As Luke ends his latest call, Rebecca motions him over to her desk. Luke takes hold of Ana's arm and leads her to the desk. He doesn't want to leave her alone and be prey to any of the paparazzi that have managed to get into the hospital. "Security is on their way, but they suggested that I have you stay in one of the examination rooms out of sight."

"Thank you." Ana says quietly, still sniffling. Luke and Ana follow Rebecca to an unused examination room. Luke gets Ana settled into a chair and starts pacing the room, constantly checking his phone for text messages and his watch.

"When do you think Christian will be back in Seattle?" Ana asks quietly.

"I'm not sure just when they were able to take off, but I would think they should land within the hour. I've sent Reynolds to meet the plane to bring him directly here rather than having to wait for Jason to retrieve the vehicle they would have left at the airport yesterday." Luke informs Ana.

"Thank you, Luke." Ana says. "I don't know what I would do without you or Christian without Jason." Ana weakly smiles. "Over the past ten years, you've become as glued to my hip as Jason has been to Christian."

"You're welcome, Ana." Luke responds. He attempts a smile as he adds "I have to glue myself to your hip so that you don't give me the slip."

Ana closes her eyes and grimaces. "Trust me, I will NEVER to do that again. I certainly learned my lesson that day." She shutters as she remembers. "I almost lost my own life that day, but even worse, I jeopardized Teddy's life. Christian would have never forgiven me." She looks at Luke and says "I'm just glad that Christian saw the wisdom of understanding that you were not at fault."

Luke grimaces as he remembers that time. "I thought I was done for good. But Mr. Grey was focused on you and by the time you came out of your coma, Taylor was able to go to bat for me." Luke's phone buzzes. "Ana, more of our security has arrived. I need to go out to touch base with them. I should be back in a few minutes."

About fifteen minutes later, Luke returns to Ana's side. "Between our security and the hospital's security, I think we have everything under control now. But eventually, Grey House will need to issue a press release."

Ana sighs. "I know. It's just at this point in time, Christian isn't even aware of the accident. And I have no idea what condition the children or their security team are in."

There is a knock on the door and Rebecca sticks her head into the room. "Both children are being taken upstairs to the Children's Wing. You may go up there. Security has been able to keep the reporters outside, so you should be able to get there without any interference."

"Thank you." Ana says. "What about Mr. Lopez or Ms. Stone?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Grey. I don't have that information." Rebecca says. "I don't believe they've been assigned rooms yet."

Before they leave the room, Luke sends a text to Blakeman to accompany them as they walk through the hospital. Luke wanted extra coverage in case any of the paparazzi were waiting elsewhere in the hospital. Blakeman leads the way as Luke escorts Ana to the elevator to go up to the 6th floor.

Blakeman stays by the elevator when Luke and Ana head to the Nurses' station when they enter the Children's Wing. "Hello… Nurse Carmichael." Ana greets the first nurse she sees. "I've been told my children, Carrick and Christiana, have been sent up here. What is their status report and which rooms are they in?"

Nurse Carmichael looks up from his computer screen and his eyes look Ana up and down. His lips curl in disgust at the sight of Ana: red-eyed from crying, dressed in tight denim shorts, oversized t-shirt, wearing flip flops and her hair in pigtails. "That may be, but it would be awhile before visitors would be allowed. And a doctor will need to provide a status report." He waves in the direction of a waiting room across the hall. "You may wait in there and someone will let you know when visitors are permitted." Having dismissed Ana, he turns back to her computer screen.

Ana looks down at herself and realizes how she appears to strangers. She takes a deep breath. "Nurse Carmichael!" Ana snaps to get the man's attention.

"I'm sorry Ma'am." The nurse says without looking up. "I told you that you and your husband will need to wait across the hall until your children are permitted visitors."

"This man is NOT my husband." Ana says. At the smirk on the nurse's face, Ana narrows her eyes and pulls herself upright. "This is Luke Sawyer, my personal security. I am Ana Grey." Nurse Carmichael raises an eyebrow in question and shrugs. Ana pulls herself together into her best CEO persona and continues "That is Anastasia Grey as in 'Christian and Anastasia Grey Children's Wing'" pointing to the sign on the wall behind the Nurses' Station. "I will be taken to my children NOW and if the doctor is not with them, page for the doctor to come here IMMEDIATELY. Do you FUCKING understand, Nurse Carmichael? Or do I need to contact the fucking Director of Nursing, as well as the Head of the Hospital?" Ana stares down the man. "If this is an example of how parents are treated when their children are admitted, I will need to rethink my charitable work and where I direct my personal donations. And I will advise my husband to do the same."

Nurse Carmichael quickly stands and sputters "My apologies, Mrs. Grey. It has been a bit hectic here for the past half hour or so as there have been several departures and arrivals. I'm still getting caught up with the paperwork." He looks at the computer screen and taps a few keys. "Carrick Grey is in Room 620 and Christiana Grey in 621."

"Thank you." Ana says curtly and turns away from the desk. She stops short when she sees Christian leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face. "Christian!" she exclaims as she runs into his arms. She covers his face in kisses before leaning into his chest and starts sobbing."

Christian pulls Ana close to his body and rubs his arms over her back, trying to sooth her. "Shh, Baby. I'm sure they will be okay." Christian says softly. "I'm here now to share the worry."

As her sobs start to subside, Ana pulls her head up and her blue eyes gaze into her husband's grey eyes. "How long were you standing there?" she sniffles.

Christian smirks as he answers "Jason and I had just got off the elevator when you informed Nurse Carmichael that Luke was not your husband." Christian raises a finger to caress Ana's tear stained cheek. "It makes me hot seeing you in CEO mode. Tsk tsk, with the language. I'm elated that you've found the advantage of abusing the power of your name."

Ana giggles. "I guess after ten years, you have started rubbing off on me."

Christian groans and pulls Ana back into his arms. "Mrs. Grey, I would love to rub you all over with my body." He whispers in her ear. He laughs as Ana blushes. "But unfortunately, we need to tend to our children."

Ana's frown quickly returns and her eyes glisten with tears. "Yes, let's go and see them. I haven't been informed on their condition at all. Just that they were sent up here. And I couldn't even get that much information about Ricardo or Irene. All that I know is that the only fatality was the driver that hit them."

Christian wipes at Ana's tears. "We have to believe that things will be okay. Come, let's go check on the children." Christian pulls on one of her pigtails. "I like the hair style. Reminds me of the morning you made breakfast for me for the first time." He grins when Ana blushes at the memory.


	59. Chapter 59

Ana and Christian walk hand in hand towards Christiana's room. Ana sees that security is already stationed at the door to each room, Reynolds at Christiana's and Luke at Carrick's. Ana sighs at the need, but that is the life of being a child of billionaire Christian Grey. She worries that the accident was an attack on Christian via his children. The few details she has been told didn't seem that was the case, but one never knows.

Christian's hand grips Ana's tighter as they walk into the room and see their daughter lying in the hospital bed. There is a bandage on her forehead and her left arm is in a cast. She appears to be sleeping and Christian leans over to give her a light kiss on her cheek. She stirs at the touch and slowly opens her eyes. "Daddy!" she shouts.

"Shhh." Christian says. "Mommy and Daddy are here now."

"My head hurts." Christiana cries. She looks around. "Where's Carrick?"

"He's in the room next door, honey." Ana says. "We about to go see him."

"Why can't we be in the same room?" Christiana says as tears start to form.

Ana caresses Christiana's hair, pushing it away from the bandage. "Usually boys and girls don't share hospital rooms, but we'll see if the hospital will make an exception for you." She leaves down and kisses her cheek. "We'll be back as quickly as possible, okay?"

"Okay, Mommy." Christiana says. She is having trouble keeping her eyes open. "Tell Carrick I miss him." she says sleepily.

Christian takes Ana's hand again and they leaves the room to go next door. Similar to his twin, Carrick is lying in the hospital bed with a bandage on his forehead. Instead of his arm in a cast, his right leg is in a cast. His sleepy eyes light up when he sees his parents. "Mommy! Daddy!"

"Hi Honey." Ana says as she leans over to give her son a kiss. "How do you feel?"

Carrick lifts a hand to his head. "My head hurts a bit." He motions to his leg. "The doctor says that I can have people sign the cast. I want you both to sign it, but not until after Christiana signs it." Carrick has a worried look on his face. "Where is she? Is she okay?"

Christian leans over to give his son a kiss. "She's much like you. But she has an arm in a cast rather than a leg. She's next door, but we are going to see if the two of you can share a room."

Carrick's eyes light up. "That will be great!"

Christian runs his hands through his hair. "Where the fuck is the doctor?"

Carrick gasps. "Daddy! You said a bad word. Be sure to put money in the swear jar when you get home."

Ana giggles. "Don't worry, honey. I'll make sure Daddy does that." Ana continues to giggle when Christian glares at her.

"Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Grey I assume?" a man in a long white coat says as he walks into the room. "I am Dr. Brightman. Carrick and Christiana have been put under my care."

"Please give us information on the condition of our children. All that we know at this point is that the vehicle they were travelling in was broadsided, probably by a drunk driver. We've seen their bandaged foreheads and the casts. What exactly are the injuries?" Christian inquires.

"It is my understanding that the injuries are the result of the car accident, as you described. Both your children bumped their heads on impact, so we want to keep them in the hospital, at least overnight, for observation. They both have some bruising on their chest area as a result of the seat belt restraints. The cuts on their foreheads may have been caused by something coming loose in the vehicle and hitting both of them." Dr. Brightman explains. He smiles as he adds "All in all, they are lucky with relatively minor injuries."

"Can you tell us the condition of their security? Ricardo Lopez and Irene Stone?" Ana asks.

"No. As a pediatrician, I've only been assigned to the two children." Dr. Brightman responds. "But I can contact the doctors to meet with you, if you wish."

"Definitely." Christian states. "We would like both children moved into the same room."

"That's highly unusual to have mixed genders in the same room." Dr. Brightman says. Seeing the look on the faces of both Christian and Ana, he smiles and says "But given that not only are the siblings, but twins and both are under my care, I'm sure that can be arranged. Just give me a few minutes to make the arrangements."

As he turns to leave the room, Grace and Carrick Senior appear at the door. "How are my grandbabies doing?" Grace asks Dr. Brightman.

"I'm just about to go make arrangements for them to share a room. Come walk with me and I will fill you in." he says to his colleague.

Ana rushes over to her father-in-law to wrap her arms around him. "Thank you for coming Carrick. I'm sorry I wasn't up to calling you and Grace myself. Luke has been a god send to me today. Christian was enroute back from Chicago, so he wasn't here initially. He just arrived a few minutes ago."

When Ana pulls back out of Carrick's arms, Christian walks over to his father and hugs him. "Yes, thank you Dad for coming so quickly. Have the rest of the family been notified? I would hate that they find out about the accident by the media. God knows what the media will be reporting."

"Yes, after Luke called, I made a quick call to Elliott and Ethan. I asked them to let Kate and Mia know, and leaving it up to them to decide how to tell their children." Carrick answers.

Christian turns to Ana. He pulls her into his arms to give her a light kiss on the lips. As he caresses her cheek, she instinctively leans into the caress. "Baby, I need to get a status report on Lopez and Stone. Will you be okay if I'll leave you here with Dad and Mom to be with the children?"

Ana nods. "Yes. Please check and let me know. I'm afraid that they've suffered worse injuries than the children did." She makes a weak smile. "Despite all the safety features Mr. Safety Freak insists on, the vehicles can't protect the occupants 100%."

"No, I guess not. Unfortunately." Christian says. "But hopefully the extra reinforcements on the vehicle have minimized the injuries." He gives Ana another kiss and says "I'll be back as quickly as I can."

After Christian leaves, Ana tells Carrick Junior that she is taking his grandfather to see his sister, but they will be back as soon as possible.

"Grandpa!" Christiana calls out when she sees him entering her room.

"Hi Baby Girl!" Carrick says to his granddaughter. "What have you been up to?"

Christiana giggles and raises her arm to show off her cast. "We were in a car accident. I broke my arm and Carrick broke his leg." She starts to cry when she realizes that she doesn't know what has happened to Lopez or Stone.

Ana rushes to the bedside to try to comfort her daughter. "It's okay Honey. Daddy has gone to check on Mr. Lopez and Ms. Stone." Ana attempts to smile and says "Dr. Brightman is arranging for you and Carrick to share a room."

"That will be great!" Christiana says.

A few minutes later, an orderly arrives at the doorway. "Hello. I'm here to move a Miss Grey into the corner suite down the hall."

Christiana beams a Christian Grey smile. "That would be me!" Ana and Carrick look around the room to gather up any of Christiana's personal items and follow the orderly and Christiana out of the room. Once Christiana is situated in her new room, Ana stays with her while Carrick accompanies the orderly to bring Carrick Junior to the room.

A short time later, Ana is beaming seeing her children happy being together in the same room. She is relieved to see another bed in the corner of the room, intended for a parent to spend the night. She wonders if both she and Christian will fit. "_Of course you will. He fit into your hospital bed after you came out of your coma."_ She tells herself with a smirk.

A few minutes later, Christian and Grace walk into the room. "Ah, here you all are. I thought you two had made an escape from the hospital." Christian says to his children. Ana can tell that he is putting on a good face for the sake of the children. She is concerned what he found out about the other two, as well as any details about the accident.

"Grandma!" Carrick Junior and Christiana shout out together.

"Hi you two." Grace says. "Are you two better now that you're roomies?"

"Yes!" they both say.

"Why don't Grandpa and Grandma spend some time with the patients while I update Ana?" Christian says.

Grace kisses Christian on the cheek. "Take your time. I haven't seen my grandbabies for a couple of days."

Christian and Ana kiss both children before leaving the room, hand in hand. Christian leads Ana to the waiting room and closes the door behind them. "How bad is it for Ricardo and Irene?" Ana asks quietly.

Christian runs his hands through his hair. He sighs before speaking. "The doctors say that they should both live, but it will be an uphill battle for them, especially Stone. She was in the passenger seat and took the full impact of the collision. She is presently in a coma."

"So she should wake up in a few days, like I did?" Ana asks.

"Hopefully. But the doctors aren't willing to predict when." Christian says. "Her doctor won't even guarantee that she will live. Only a strong probability." Ana gasps and covers her mouth with her hands as tears form in eyes. Christian pulls her into his arms. "Oh Baby! We need to be strong. The doctors will do everything within their ability to ensure she does come out of the coma and recovers."

"And Ricardo?" Ana sniffles.

"He has a concussion, some broken ribs and bruised chest from the steering wheel." Christian informs her, still holding her close to his chest.

"Has Ricardo been able to give any report on just what happened?" Ana asks.

"He had trouble speaking because of the pain, but was able to give the police a brief report. The SUV had been stopped at a red light. The light had turned green and the vehicle ahead of them had proceeded through the intersection. As they entered the intersection, Lopez saw a blur in the corner of eye. Before he was able to react, the pickup truck went through his red light and hit our SUV in the front passenger door." Christian says.

Ana pulls back from Christian's chest to look up at his face. "So it was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time? It wasn't an intentional attack on the Grey family?"

Christian closes his eyes and draws a deep breath. "No, thank fuck." His hand reaches up to caress Ana's cheek. "Not that it makes the end result any better."

"I know. But it is a bit of relief to know that a suicide driver isn't out there hunting for Grey vehicles." Ana tells Christian. She runs her hand over his tie. "I know Luke was operating on Red Alert as soon as the SUV sent out the distress call. And of course he was short-handed with Jason being in the air with you and two others injured." She looks at Christian. "Just how many security people DO we have on payroll?"

"I don't think we'll ever have enough." Christian grimaces. "I saw that eye roll, Mrs. Grey. With our growing family, I want, no I need the comfort, that each child has his or her own person security. And of course that individual needs some time off." Christian pulls away from Ana and starts pacing the room, running his hands through his hair. Ana's heart plummets as she realizes that there is still more information Christian is debating with himself whether to tell her or not.

"What is it, Christian?" Ana manages to get out. "What is it that you are not telling me?" Ana stands with her hands on her hips. "Tell me now, or so help me, I will go out into that hall and track down Jason and demand that he tells me." At the look of distress in Christian's eyes, Ana walks over to him and puts her arms around him. She pulls his mouth down to hers for a kiss. When they pull apart, Ana reaches a hand up to caress his cheek. "No secrets, remember?"

Christian draws a deep breath and briefly closes his eyes. "I know we promised. And I did plan on telling you when I returned from Chicago. But I got sidetracked because as soon as we landed, Reynolds greeted us with the news of the accident."

A look of fear passes over Ana's face. "What….what happened in Chicago?" Ana manages to get out.

Christian stares at her in astonishment and then realization dawns on him. He pulls her to him and cups her face in his hands and stares deep into her eyes, grey eyes gazing into blue. "Oh God Ana! What are you thinking? Nothing happened in Chicago. It happened here in Seattle."

"What?" Ana manages to strangle the words out. "What are you trying to tell me? Or I should say avoid telling me?"

"When we landed yesterday morning after returning from New York City, Jason and I dropped you off at GP before we proceeded on to Grey House. I hadn't checked my messages until after we had dropped you off. One of the messages was from my mother demanding to be called immediately." Christian informs Ana. "I called her and was shocked with what she told me." At Ana's questioningly look, Christian says "Jack Fucking Hyde is a patient in this fucking hospital."


	60. Chapter 60

Ana steps out of Christian's arms. "WHAT DO MEAN THAT JACK _FUCKING_ HYDE IS IN _THIS_ HOSPITAL?" Ana exclaims. She gasps and covers her mouth with her hands. "Oh my god! Our children are patients in the same hospital! Why didn't you tell me this before?"

Christian manages to pull Ana back into his arms and close to his heart. He can feel his panic subsiding as Ana snuggles into his arms. He runs his hands over her back, trying to calm her down. "Shh! Anastasia." He croons. "I have it under control."

Ana pulls back out of his arms. "YOU have it under control?" Ana hisses. "And just when the fuck were you going to tell me?" She steps back again when Christian reaches his arms out to pull her back into his arms. "Don't touch me. I need to think and if I'm in your arms, your sexpertise will overwhelm me."

Christian smirks at her words. "Sexpertise? I still have that effect on you?" He groans when Ana rolls her eyes and tries to again pull her back into his arms.

"No!" Ana says as she steps back again. She continues to back up as Christian advances towards her. She bites her lip as she sees his eyes glaze over with a predatory gleam. She groans as she feels the wall at her back. She tries to quickly step to the side, but Christian is quicker and manages to pull her into his arms.

Christian breathes in her scent for several minutes before he pulls back slightly to cup Ana's face in his hands. "Anastastia, I wasn't trying to keep the information from you. It was something that warranted a face to face discussion, but when I stopped by your office on Monday to tell you about my trip to Chicago, Kate was there and I thought it could wait until I returned today. I didn't want to tell you as I was leaving town when I couldn't be with you. Taylor didn't even have time to make security arrangements. He turned the assignment over to Sawyer."

"So that's why Luke was on high alert with the accident?" Ana questioned. "And why he was so worried about not having enough staff to assist hospital security with the paparazzi?"

"Yes." Christian answers. He pulls her back to his chest and closes his eyes in relief when Ana gives no resistance. "We have security stationed on the floor where Hyde is located as we don't feel the lone security guard assigned to a prisoner while in hospital is sufficient."

Ana pulls her head back to look Christian in the eye. "You said you had a message from your mother? How is she involved?" Ana asks.

"Mom got called in to help out in the ER late Sunday afternoon. There had been a multi-vehicle accident on the highway and the ER was swamped. At the same time, an ambulance arrived with a prisoner suffering stomach pains and Mom was assigned to that patient. As soon as she recognized him, she had to turn him over to someone else. So she exchanged patients with another doctor. By the time she was able to get to a phone, we were already in the air on our way back to Seattle from New York."

"Why didn't Grace call Luke when neither you nor Jason were available?" Ana asks.

"I don't know." Christian admitted. "I guess she was hesitant to disturb him at home on his weekend off and figured there wasn't anything to be done until morning when we would be back in Seattle." Christian sees Ana's look of fear. He leans forward to give her a quick kiss. "We have the situation under control now. With the twins in the same room, it will be easier ensuring one room is secure. Please relax Baby. We don't want to upset the children."

Ana looks Christian in the eye. "How can we be sure that he won't try something? We know how sneaky he can be."

Christian raises a hand to caress Ana's cheek. He smiles as she leans into his hand. "We just have to be as alert as possible. There will be someone stationed at the twins' room at all times, day and night. We also have someone stationed on the floor where Hyde is and that is in addition to the guard assigned to him by the prison." Christian stares at Ana in the eye. "Anastasia, please promise me that you will have Sawyer, or a stand-in, by your side at all times when you are in this hospital."

"Yes, Christian." Ana says meekly as her eyes glisten.

"If you don't, so help me God, I'll put you over my knee and give you the spanking of your life." Christian vowed. "And there won't be anything pleasurable about it."

Ana smiles. "But you need to promise me that you will also have security at your side at all times. You know that ultimately it is you that he would want to harm."

"Agreed. But he would be aware that doing harm to any one of my loved ones would wound me more than any injury to myself." Christian tells Ana. "We should get back to the children. Taylor should be back by now with an overnight bag for us and stuff for the children." Christian takes Ana by the hand and they walk back down the hall to the children's hospital room. Taylor is talking to Sawyer at the closed door.

"Hi Boss." Taylor says. "Gail packed an overnight bag for you and Ana. Mrs. Livingston packed a bag for each child, including their ipads." Taylor smiles as he hands two envelopes to Ana. "Miss Phoebe created Get Well cards for the twins and had everyone, including the Security staff, sign them."

Ana smiles weakly. "That's our Phoebe!" She takes the envelopes from Jason's hands. "I'll give them to the kids right away."

"Master Teddy asked if it would be possible to do a video conference call with their siblings." Jason informs Christian and Ana.

"I think that should be possible." Christian says. "It will help reassure them that Christiana and Carrick are okay."

Christiana and Carrick are ecstatic to talk to their siblings and show off their casts. Everyone, including Grandma Margaret, Andrew and Gail promised to sign the casts when they see the twins. Ana puts an end to the call when she sees Christiana's eyes getting heavy. Christian lifts her off of Carrick's bed and back to her own. Grace and Carrick Senior say good night to their grandchildren and Ana.

"Mom, Dad. I'll walk you out while Ana gets the children settled down." Christian says. When the trio are out in the hallway, Christian leans down to kiss his mother. "Thank you Mom for everything."

Grace raises her hand to caress her son's face. "I didn't do anything darling. I didn't have to use any influence to get Christiana and Carrick in the same room."

Christian looks his mother in the eye. "No, Mom. I meant Sunday and notifying us about that fucking bastard being admitted to the hospital." Christian runs his hands through his hair. "We have security on his floor to supplement the usual prison security. Now that the twins are patients in the same hospital, we will have round the clock security here as well at Lopez and Stone's rooms. I also have Ana's agreement that she will adhere to the increased security for herself as well." Christian gives a weak smile and adds "I just hope that she keeps that promise."

"I'm sure she will." Grace tries to reassure her son. "Ana has matured in the past ten years and has become accustomed to the constant presence of security in her life. And the two of you communicate so well with one another, I'm sure she wouldn't feel the need to do something without your knowledge."

Christian grimaces and avoids making eye contact with his mother or Taylor. "Yes. Well, we can only hope that Ana isn't presented with an opportunity that she feels the need to go off on her own." He turns to Taylor and says "Taylor, would you please escort my parents home? And then head home yourself. I'll be fine here with Sawyer and the others."

"If you're sure about that Boss." Taylor says. "I know Sawyer has everything here well in hand. He did an excellent job today dealing with the fall-out from the accident."

"Yes, he did." Christian says. "Even better, he was able to keep Ana calm and managed to keep the paparazzi at bay." Christian runs his hands through his hair. "Now we just need to get through the next day or so while the children are in the same building as that fucker Hyde."

"We've managed to lock-down the children's room and pretty much this entire wing." Taylor says. He smirks as he adds "I guess there are benefits of having your name on the wall in the wing."

Christian returns the smirk. "Yes. It was quite a sight, wasn't it, when we got off the elevator and Ana was lambasting the nurse about his attitude." He flashes his mega-watt smile. "I guess there is hope for her yet."

"Is the world ready for two Christian Greys?" Taylor questions. Christian laughs.

Grace and Carrick join the men in the hallway. Grace kisses Christian and hugs him. "The children will be fine Christian. They were lucky, but their injuries are minor."

Christian closes his eyes as he pulls his mother into his arms. "I know Mom. Things could have been a lot worse, but it shouldn't have happened at all. And it's still unknown how, or if, Lopez and Stone will recover."

Grace pulls back in Christian's arms to look up at him. She raises a hand to caress his cheek. "I know darling. We just have to keep hoping that they will both recover. Rest assured that they are in the best possible hands."

"I know, Mom." Christian says. "Thank you both for coming in to be with us."

"Well, they are our grandchildren." Carrick says. "Of course we would to be here."

"Christian, since you and Ana are staying here tonight, would you like Carrick and myself to spend the night at the Manor? Jason and Lucas will likely already be in bed, but Teddy and Phoebe will probably still be up and worried. And we would be there in the morning." Grace asks Christian. "It would enable Jason to get home sooner if he doesn't need to drive us out to Bellevue before going home to the Manor."

"That is a good idea. Thanks Mom." Christian responds. "I don't know what Ana and I would do without the both of you." Christian hugs and kisses his mother one more time. He turns and holds out his hand to his father, but when his father takes his hand, Christian pulls his father into his arms and hugs him. "Thank you for everything, Dad." Christian says. "We need to talk about some things tomorrow."

As Christian steps back out of his father's arms, Carrick's eyes are glistening. "Anytime son." He manages to get the words out. He is overcome by emotion as it is rare that Christian will hug him. "Well, we should be going so that you and Ana can get the twins settled down for the night. And yourselves as well."

Once his parents leave, followed by Taylor, Christian stops to touch base with Sawyer. "It's been a long day, Sawyer. Will you and Reynolds have any relief during the night?"

"No, Sir." Sawyer responds. "Now that the children are in one room, Reynolds and I will be taking turns. I was able to arrange with the hospital for a room on this to be at our disposal. Reynolds is sleeping now and will relieve me at midnight."

Christian holds Sawyer's gaze as he smiles warily. "Thank you Luke for taking care of Ana and the whole fucking mess today." Christian sighs before continuing. "I know I don't show it, but I do appreciate everything you do for me and my family. Over the years you and Ana have formed a bond similar to the bond Jason and I have formed."

"Thank you Christian." Sawyer says, trying his best to hide his surprise at the friendliness of his employer. "Rest assured that I would do everything in my power to protect Ana, you and the children."

Sawyer opens the door to the hospital room and steps aside for Christian to enter. "Goodnight, Luke." Ana says as she sees him in the doorway.

"Goodnight, Ana." Sawyer says as he steps back out into the hallway, closing the door behind him.

"Are the children asleep?" Christian whispers to Ana.

"No, Daddy! I'm still awake." Christiana says sleepily. "You haven't kissed me goodnight yet."

"Me too!" Carrick says, almost as sleepily as his sister.

"Okay. But once I kiss you both good night, you need to get to sleep. You've had a very long trying day. Your mother and I have too and we need to get our sleep as well." Christian says with a smile. Ana and Christian both kiss the children goodnight.

There is a knock on the door and a nurse enters the room. "Hello everyone. I'm Nurse Bradshaw and I'll be your nurse for the night. I'm just here to make sure my patients are settled in and Mom and Dad have everything they need for the night." She looks up and sees Christian's mega-watt smile and smiles back as she blushes. She proceeds with her routine but is flustered, still recovering from the Christian Grey mega-watt smile. Christian smirks when he sees Ana rolling her eyes.

As she finishes ensuring both Carrick and Christiana are ready for the night, she tucks a loose tendril of her chestnut brown hair behind her ear. She turns and smiles at Christian and Ana, but her eyes are focused on Christian. "Is there anything I can get for you Mr. Grey?" she asks.

"No." Ana answers. "I believe we have everything we need. If we find that the children need anything, we will buzz for you."

"Well good night, then." Nurse Bradshaw says as she turns to leave the room, closing the door behind her.

"WHAT?" Ana hisses to Christian in a whispered voice as she hears him chuckle.

Christian draws her into his arms and covers her mouth with his. When her lips part, he slides his tongue into her mouth. When they break apart, they are both breathless and it takes them both a couple of minutes to realize that Christiana is giggling. "Phoebe's right. You two are kissy face _all_ the time." she says.

"Go to sleep, Christiana." Christian says in a husky voice, smirking at the blush on Ana's face.

"Okay Daddy." Christiana says.

"What were you laughing about before you starting using your sexpertise on me?" Ana whispers.

"How aggressive you were with the nurse, staking your claim." Christian says with a laugh. "I've always told you it's just another pretty face."

"You have a gorgeous face, Christian." Ana looks at Christian as she caresses his cheek. "I just wish women didn't flaunt themselves at you. Especially in front of me."

Christian looks adoringly into Ana's eyes as he tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear. "Anastasia. You are the only woman for me. I wish you would realize just how gorgeous you are and how special you are to me."

Ana stares Christian in the eye before lowering her eyes and stepping out of his arms. She turns and hugs herself. "It's a bit difficult to do that after the revelations of this past weekend." She says quietly. "When women hit on you in front of me, all I can think of what do they do when I'm _not_ with you…" She bites her quivering lip before managing to continue "…and wonder how you respond."

Christian reaches forward and pulls Ana back into his arms, cradling her face against his chest. "My darling Anastasia. I don't know what I can do to reassure you that _you_ are the _only _woman for me. And have been since the day you stumbled into my office ten years ago." He puts his hands on Ana's shoulders and pulls her back slightly before cupping her face in his hands. "In a moment of stupidity five years ago, I thought I might be able to exorcise some old demons by returning to the New York BDSM club and since Gabriella was going there anyway I would go with her. But I _did_ come to my senses and didn't enter the club with her or alone." He rubs his thumb across her lips. "I don't know how many times I need to tell you that you are the only woman I want or need. But I will continue to do so until the day I die if necessary."

Ana raises a finger to wipe at the tears forming in Christian's eyes. "I do know you love me, Christian." Tears are glistening in her eyes. "But I still have difficulty believing that you are satisfied with _only_ me. I live in fear that you will someday decide I am not enough and either take a sub or a mistress. And I don't think I could survive that."

Christian pulls Ana back to cradle her head against his chest. "Oh Anastasia. You're getting as fucked up as I am. I don't know how we will be able to resolve this. Definitely not tonight. We need to try to get some sleep. Come, let's go to bed."

Ana steps away from Christian's arms and wipes at her eyes. "Yes, we do need to try to get some sleep. As for the other, I guess we need to take it one day at a time." Ana picks up her overnight bag and heads into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, Ana returns from the bathroom. Christian gives a slight smile at her attire. "My t-shirt has never looked better."

Ana shrugs as she turns the blanket back on the double bed. "It's what Gail packed for me." She crosses the room to check on the twins and finds them sleeping peacefully. She returns to the double bed and gets into the bed, turning on her side facing the wall. Christian sighs as he runs his hands through his hair. He takes his overnight bag into the bathroom to change into his pajama pants. When he returns, he climbs into the bed beside Ana. He reaches out to put an arm around Ana and realises she is already asleep. He gives a sigh of relief when she snuggles against him, her back to his front. Christian closes his eyes and is soon asleep.


	61. Chapter 61

A couple of hours later, Christian wakes up to Ana tossing and turning in her sleep. "Love Christian." She mumbles in her sleep. "Don't want to leave him." Christian gasps slightly at Ana's subconscious thoughts. "Can I trust him?" Ana says as she continues to toss and turn. "What about the children?" Christian tries to pull her back into his arms but she struggles. "Have always loved Christian." The more Ana mumbles, the more she tosses and turns. Christian reaches a hand out to stroke Ana's arm. She calms down slightly and turns on her side with her back to him. "Not enough for him."

Christian manages to get Ana back into his arms. "Shhh, Anastastia." He kisses her hair. "I'm here to stay Baby." He tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear and leans over to kiss her ear lobe. "I've always loved you Ana. You are the only woman for me." He continues to stroke her arm and she seems to settle down, snuggling closer to his warm body. He sighs in relief and falls back to sleep himself.

A short time later, both Christian and Ana are jolted awake by the screams of Carrick. "Lopez! Watch out! It's going to hit us!" he shouts. "Nooooooo! Chrissy! Chrissy, are you okay?"

Christian jumps out of bed and runs across the room to Carrick's bed. He sits on the side of the bed and pulls Carrick up into his arms. "Shhh, Carrick." Christian brushes the hair from his son's forehead and leans forward to kiss him. "Daddy and Mommy are here. You're safe. Chrissy's safe too."

Carrick's trembling calms down as he opens his eyes and looks around the room, realizing he is no longer in the SUV. He wraps his arms around Christian and sobs into his father's chest. "Bad dream." Carrick says. "I saw the truck coming towards us from the side. I tried to warn Lopez, really I did Daddy. And I tried to protect my sister."

Christian holds his son to his chest and rubs his hands over the child's back. "I know you did Champ. And I'm sure Lopez did everything he could to keep everyone safe. Unfortunately, there are times that no matter what you do, the actions of someone else can cause harm to people you love as well as to yourself."

Ana stands beside the bed and runs her hand through her son's hair. "Are you okay now, honey?" she asks.

Carrick pulls back from his father's arms and turns his tear stained face to his mother. He nods and says "Yes, I think so."

The door to the room opens and Nurse Bradshaw enters. "Is everything okay? I heard some loud voices." She takes in the scene and her face softens. "Did you have a nightmare Carrick?" When he nods she asks "Would you like some juice or water?"

"Apple juice?" Carrick asks with a smile.

"You bet." Bradshaw says. "I'll be right back with it." She looks at both Christian and Ana asks "Would either of you like something to drink?"

"Apple juice would be nice." Ana says politely.

"Yes, that would be fine." Christian says. "Maybe a glass for Christiana as well. She seems to have slept through this, but she's apt to wake up soon."

Nurse Bradshaw leaves and returns a few minutes later carrying a tray with several glasses and a jug of apple juice. "In case any of you want more than one glass, I thought I would bring you the container."

Christian jumps off Carrick's bed and takes the tray from her and sits it on the bedside table. "Thank you Nurse Bradshaw." He says as he flashes his mega-watt smile. His smile falters as he sees Ana's expression when Bradshaw preens under his attention. "That should be fine. We can pour the drinks ourselves. Do you need to check Carrick for anything?"

Bradshaw walks over to Carrick's bed and helps him back under the covers. She checks the positioning of his leg and takes his temperature. "Everything seems fine." She smiles at Carrick. "You've been a good boy." Ana rolls her eyes as she sees her son's reaction to the attention from the pretty nurse.

A few minutes later, Christiana shouts "AHHHH. Carrick! Carrick!"

Christian rushes to her bedside to sit down and pull her into his arms. "Hush, Princess. Daddy's here. Everything's okay." He croons as he rubs his hands over her back. Like her brother had done earlier, she wraps her unburdened arm around her father and sobs into his chest. "It's just a nightmare." Ana stands at the bedside and runs her hand through her daughter's hair.

A few minutes later, Christiana sobs start to subside and she pulls back to stare at her father. "Daddy, you're crying! Don't cry. Carrie and I are okay."

Christian smiles wistfully. "I know you both are. I'm just sad that you both had to experience the accident and are now having nightmares about it." Ana leans forward to kiss Christian on the cheek and run her hand over his back in sympathy. She is aware of the turmoil he will be going through wondering if the children's nightmares are the beginning of years of nightmares as he has experienced.

Christiana hugs her father and says "Don't worry, Daddy. We have you and Mommy to look after us. As well as everyone else in the family. Lopez and Stone tried to protect us, just like they always do. I know we're safe."

"That's right, Christiana. Everyone loves you and Carrick and will do their best to keep you both safe." Christian assures his daughter.

"Nurse Bradshaw brought us some apple juice. Would you like some?" Ana asks her daughter.

"Yes, please." Christiana says with a smile. "Are there any cookies?"

"No, she only brought us the juice." Ana says. "Would you like me to see if there are any available?"

Christiana sighs in disappointment. "No, it's okay. I can wait for breakfast." Christiana assures her mother.

"Oh, wait a minute. Let me check the bags that Taylor brought for you and Carrick." Ana says as she walks to the closet. She takes out a bag and looks inside. "Yes! Auntie Gail knows you so well, sweetheart. She sent a box of your favorite chocolate chip cookies."

Christiana claps her hands in glee. "Oh goodie! I love Auntie Gail's cookies." Christiana takes a couple of cookies from the box Ana is holding. She looks between her mother and father and with a sly grin, reaches back into the box and takes a couple more cookies. She is surprised that neither parent makes her put the extra ones back in the box.

Trying to hide her grin, Ana turns and offers Carrick some cookies. He smiles as he takes four cookies from the box. "May Daddy have some of your cookies, too?" Ana asks the children.

"Yes, of course." Both children say at the same time.

"Thank you." Christian says with a smirk as Ana holds the box out to him. He takes a cookie and then grabs hold of Ana's hand to pull her to his chest. "I love Auntie Gail's cookies, but I love Mommy better." He smiles salaciously and gives Ana a quick kiss. "She tastes much sweeter." He chuckles as he sees the blush flooding Ana's face.

Ana puts her arms around Christian's neck and pulls his mouth down to hers. Several minutes later, they break apart, both breathless. "Definitely much sweeter." Christian says.

Christian and Ana kiss the children goodnight again and get back into their bed. Christian is relieved that when he wraps his arm around Ana to pull her back against his chest, she doesn't resist. "Anastasia, I love you with all my heart. I deeply regret that I've given you reason to doubt that love." He whispers in her ear.

Ana turns around in Christian's arms. "I know you do love me with the heart that you once claimed you didn't have. But the acknowledgement that you even thought about fucking another woman has questioned my trust in you. I am thankful that your control kicked in, even at the last minute, and you choose not to cross that line. But you need to understand my own insecurities cause me to worry that you will cross the line at some point in the future."

Christian strokes Ana's cheek and his thumb dabs at the tears glistening in her eyes. "Ana, I will do everything in my power to set things right with us. I barely survived ten years ago when you left me after only a few days together and I managed to get you back after five long days. And when you were in the coma following the attack by Hyde, I was devastated. I didn't care about GEH, only that I needed you and Blip to survive. If you didn't have you, there was no meaning in my life and no reason to remain living. I don't think I could survive if you left me again now that we have had ten blissful years together and our seventh child on the way. I know I don't want to have to find out." Christian lightly brushes his lips against Ana's. "We'll talk more about this tomorrow, but for now, we need to get back to sleep." Christian lightly kisses Ana's eyelids as she snuggles down to sleep in his arms.

The next morning, Christiana and Carrick wake up their cheerful selves. They are both anxious to get home. "Well, I'm not sure." Nurse Bradshaw tells them. "That would depend on what the doctor says." She looks at Carrick and says "I believe a physiotherapist needs to stop in and give you a training session on walking with your crutches."

"Crutches?" Carrick says excitedly. "Cool." When he sees his sister pouting, he says "Christiana. You have a sling for your arm."

A few minutes later the door opens and the room is soon filled with Greys. Grace and Carrick Senior have brought the other children to the hospital to see their siblings. Carrick and Christiana show off their casts and every one take turns in signing. Jason and Lucas draw pictures instead of their names. When the mayhem dies down, Christian starts sniffing the air. "Do I smell Mrs. Taylor's pancakes and bacon?" he questions with a smile and turns to see Jason and Gail walking through the door, both carrying large baskets.

"Yes, you do Mr. Grey." Gail says with a smile. "I wouldn't want you to go hungry." The baskets are set down on a table in the corner of the room and Gail starts unloading the contents. Ana and Grace make up plates for Carrick and Christiana while Gail prepares one for Christian.

"Is there enough for me?" Ana asks. She rubs her baby bump and says "I think Lucky is envying everyone." She rolls her eyes at the look of pleasure on Christian's face at her need for food.

Christian places a chair for Ana at the table and fills up a plate for her. He takes a seat beside her and they eat their breakfast at leisure knowing that there are lots of people to help the twins eat their breakfast. Grace is showing Christiana how to maneuver her utensils while being impeded with the cast.

As Gail is packing the baskets back up in preparation to leave, the door opens again and Elliott and Kate walk in, along with Ava and Elliott Junior. Ava quickly joins Phoebe at Christiana's bedside and signs her cast. Elliott toddles over to play with his Jason and Lucas in a corner of the room.

Elliott and Kate both hug Ana as well as Christian. "How are you both doing?" Kate asks.

"As well as can be expected, I guess." Ana says with a sigh. Ana hugs Kate again before adding "Christiana and Carrick weren't as severely injured as Ava had been a few years ago. We're hoping that they can go home later today or possibly tomorrow." Ana turns to Christian and asks "Have you had an update on the statuses of Ricardo and Irene?"

Christian shakes his head. "No, I was about to go and check, as well as touch base with Taylor and Sawyer." He looks at Elliott and their father. "Elliott, Dad. Would you come with me?" The other two men nod their agreement and leave with Christian.

Kate hugs Ana again and whispers in her ear. "How are things between you and Christian?"

"We haven't had much chance to discuss things. We have both told each other that we love one another and that we need to talk, but away from the hospital." Ana whispers back.

"Just remember, I'm here for you." Kate tries to assure Ana. Ana smiles her thanks.

"Looks like there is a party going on in here." a strange voice announces. Ana looks up apprehensively, wondering how someone got past security. She sees a very good looking man in his late twenties carrying a pair of crutches. "Oh hello Dr. Trevelyan." He says.

Grace looks up and smiles. "Hello, Jeremy. Are you here to see my grandson Carrick Grey?"

"Yes I am. I didn't realize he was your grandson." Jeremy says. He walks over to Carrick and says "Hi Carrick. I'm Jeremy Holloway. I'm going to get you set up with these crutches and teach you how to walk with them." He looks around the room. "It's a bit crowded here. Why don't I take you in a wheelchair down to the playroom and we can practice." He smiles at Carrick. "And then you can come back here and impress everyone." He winks at Carrick who laughs in response. "I'll be right back with a wheelchair." Jeremy leaves the room and returns a few minutes later with the wheelchair and lifts Carrick out of his bed into the chair.

"Byyyyyeeeeee!" Carrick waves to everyone as he is wheeled out of the room by Jeremy.

As soon as the door behind them, Kate turns to Grace and says "Grace! Who _is_ that god!" Ana rolls her eyes at Kate's reaction.

"Yes, Grandma! Who is he?" both Ava and Phoebe question. "He is dreamy." Ava adds.

Grace laughs. "He's a physiotherapist and is quite good with children. I believe he is married with at least one child." She looks at her granddaughters. "You two are too young to be drooling over boys, let alone men." She turns to Kate "And you, Kate, are a pregnant married woman."

Kate smiles sheepishly and shrugs. "Yes, I'm married and pregnant, but not dead. No harm in looking." She pretends to mop at her mouth. "And drool."

Grace laughs. "Yes, Jeremy is definitely drool worthy. But, in my humble opinion, doesn't hold a candle to my two sons."

"No he doesn't." Ana quickly agrees. "But no harm in looking." She adds with a wink.

A short time later, the door opens and Carrick is standing in the doorway, balanced on his crutches. As Jeremy holds the door open, Carrick proceeds on into the room. Ana feels tears forming in her eyes at the sight of her son concentrating hard on manipulating the crutches. He reminds Ana of Christian when he focuses on the task at hand. Carrick manages to cross the room to his bed. He turns, holding onto the bed for support, with a big smile on his face. "I did it!" He claps in glee. "I walked from the playroom, down the hall, and across this room."

"That's fantastic." Ana hugs Carrick. "That must have tired you out. Do you want to get back into bed?"

"Yes, Mom." Carrick says. When he looks at the bed, he frowns. "I don't think I can climb up onto the bed."

"That's okay, Carrick." Jeremy says as he steps forward. "I can lift you. Don't want your Mom to hurt her baby lifting a big boy like you." He says as he smiles at Ana, focusing on her baby bump before looking at her face.

"That's alright." Christian says coldly from the doorway. "I can lift my son up into bed."

"Of course, Mr. Grey. I was just trying to help." Jeremy says as he steps aside.

"Daddy!" Carrick exclaims. "Watch me walk with the crutches." Biting his lip in concentration, Carrick puts the crutches under his arms and takes several steps towards his father."

"You're a quick learner!" Christian says with a big smile on his face.

"That's what Jeremy told me." Carrick says proudly, turning to look at Jeremy. "But I think I need to rest. My arms are sore."

"That's okay, Son." Christian says. "I'll lift you up into the bed." Christian picks up his son in his arms and easily carries him across the room to his bed.

"I guess my job here is done." Jeremy announces. "Good day everyone."

"Bye Jeremey!" both Ava and Phoebe say disappointedly as he leaves the room.

"What's with the attitude Christian?" Ana asks her husband.

"What do you mean, Anastasia?" Christian replies. "I'm gone from the room for a short time and return to see another man trying to impress my wife. And don't roll your eyes at me."

Ana sighs. "Were you able to get an update on the status of Ricardo and Irene?"

Christian runs a hand through his copper locks. "Yes." He looks around the room. "I want to talk to you all, away from the children. We can use the waiting room down the hall. The children should be fine here alone for the short time we will be gone. Reynolds in on door duty."

Ana puts her arm around Christian, rubbing his back. "Teddy, the adults need to step out for a few minutes. Will you watch over your siblings and cousins until we get backs?" she asks.

"Yes. Of course." Teddy say.

Christian takes Ana by the hand and they walk out of the room, followed by the other adults. Ana's apprehension increases when she realizes that Taylor was waiting for them out in the hallway and then stands guard at the closed door of the waiting room.


	62. Chapter 62

"Have a seat everyone." Christian says as he shuts the door of the waiting room closed.

"Christian. You're scaring me." Ana says as tears start glistening in her eyes. "Has something happened to Ricardo or Irene?"

Christian sits down beside Ana and pulls her into his arms. He pulls out a handkerchief and dabs at her eyes. "Irene has come out of her coma. The doctors have assured me she will survive, but she has fractured vertebra and it will be a long recovery time. She is still in ICU. Ricardo has been moved from ICU to a regular room, but will still need to stay in the hospital for awhile."

"I'm glad to hear that they seem to be on the road to recovery." Kate says. "But why the need to drag us all in here? I assume you wanted to talk away from the children?"

"Yes." Christian confirms. "We need to do a press conference. The regular media, as well as the paparazzi have been camping out downstairs, pestering anyone coming and going from the hospital." Christian runs both hands through his hair. "And somehow, someone, found out that that fucking bastard Hyde is also in this hospital and the media have now started running reports rehashing what happened ten years ago."

"I made a suggestion to Christian and Elliott, which they have both agreed to." Carrick says. He turns to Ana and Kate "Pending their wives' approval and yours as well Grace."

Ana and Kate look at one another before both turning to Carrick. "What?"

"You have both had children injured in car accidents caused by drunk drivers. Ava three years ago and now Christiana and Carrick Junior." Carrick says. "I have proposed that the Grey family support Mothers Against Drunk Drivers by giving a sizable donation and publicize the reason. And with the agreement of MADD, make public appearances in support of the cause."

Kate stands up and hugs her father-in-law. "That sounds like an excellent idea. I'm on board." Kate says. She looks at Elliott. "We should have done this following Ava's accident, but I was devastated as we weren't sure at first if she would survive and then Elliott and I were reconciling." Kate turns to Ana. "So Steele Grey, are you on board?"

Ana squeezes Christian before standing and hugging Kate. "Yes! Definitely." She turns to hug Carrick. "Thank you Carrick for suggesting this. I agree we need to do something about drunk drivers."

Christian has already pulled his phone out and talking to Michael Roberts in the PR department of GEH. "Go ahead with the proposal we were discussing a few minutes ago. Let me know if you have a contact person from MADD and if that person would be available for a press conference here at the hospital later this afternoon." Christian disconnects and turns to the people in the room. "We have already arranged tentative plans with the hospital to do a press conference in the lobby this afternoon."

Grace walks over to Christian and hugs him before kissing him on the cheek. "You were so sure of us, weren't you?"

Christian flashes his mega-watt smile at his mother. "We were fairly convenient that none of you would veto the proposal."

Elliott puts his arm around Kate and turns her to face him. "Kate, Dad suggested that Ava be present at the press conference as she has been a victim of a drunk driver. Would you be willing to put her in the limelight?"

Kate looks at Ana and Christian with concern before looking back at Elliott. "Do you think it would be a good idea? I know our family isn't as obvious a target as Ana and Christian's, but we have always been in agreement with them to keep the children sheltered from the press for security reasons."

Elliott quickly kisses Kate on the lips. "I know. Christian and I talked about that. Given the circumstances I think it may send a better message having Ava present, at least briefly. We won't allow any media questions for her. Security wise, it wouldn't be much different from the occasional family photo ops that we do allow. Christian suggested that Phoebe could be there to help support her." Elliott laughs. "We know from the lemonade stand incident, Phoebe can handle the media."

"Okay." Kate agrees. "But I don't want her to become a poster child."

Christian's phone rings. "Grey." "Okay Roberts. Confirm with her that 2 o'clock today is fine here at the hospital. I'll arrange with the hospital administration." Christian disconnects and announces "A Mildred Mann from MADD is available at 2 for the press conference. She is elated that the Grey family is publically supporting her organization, but is sorry for the incident that precipitated it." Christian runs his hands through his hair. "Ana and Kate, would you two be able to put together a short speech for each of you?" He beams a smile as they agree.

Carrick and Grace returned to the children's room to watch the children. Before leaving the room, Carrick said he would phone Mia to ask if she and Ethan would be able to attend the press conference as well as a sign of family support.

Ana and Kate huddle together working on Kate's ipad. After a few minutes they read their speeches to the others for feedback. After some suggestions from the others, they tweak their speeches and proclaim that they are ready.

There is a knock on the door and Taylor opens the door. "Gail has just arrived with lunch for everyone. She is setting it up in the children's room."

"Thank you Jason. We'll be there shortly." Ana answers.

Just as people were finishing eating their lunch, Dr. Brightman arrives to check in on his young patients. Carrick eagerly shows off his prowess in navigating with his crutches and the doctor is suitably impressed. Not to be outdone, Christiana demonstrates to the doctor how well she is able to feed herself with one arm in a cast. She beams when the doctor congratulates her on her achievement.

"Well. You are both doing very well." Dr. Brightman tells his patients. "Do either of you have a head ache, or any other pain besides your arm or leg that is in a cast?" He looks at each child and both respond "No."

"Doctor. Both children woke up with nightmares last night." Christian says.

Before Christian can proceed expressing his fear of his son experiencing nightmares, Ana jumps into the conversation. "Should we be concerned, or is this a normal reaction to being in a car accident?"

Dr. Brightman looks at the twins and sees that he is happily playing a video game with his older brother and Christiana laughing with Phoebe and Ava. "It is probably just a reaction to having experienced the accident earlier in the day and with time they will go away." Seeing the concern on Christian's face, he adds "But of course, if either one continue to experience nightmares, you should seek treatment for them." He puts up his hands. "I really don't think that will be necessary, but best to deal with the issue before it becomes a problem for either of them."

"Thank you Doctor." Ana says as she puts her arm around Christian, trying to keep him calm. "Soooo…when can these inmates be sprung from their jail?" Ana asks the doctor.

Dr. Brightman laughs as he looks around the room. "I really don't think this is a jail, Mrs. Grey. You and your husband have been very generous with donations ensuring that there is nothing institutional about this children's wing. The parents I come into contact with are very appreciative with, not just being able to stay in the child's room, but also having a comfortable bed for themselves. Many have compared it to staying in a hotel."

"That's the feeling we were hoping to achieve." Christian tells him. "From personal experience, I know one doesn't want to leave the bedside of a loved one, but it is very uncomfortable trying to sleep in a chair." He smiles as he looks at Ana. "And the nurses frown when you try to share the bed." He laughs when he sees Ana blush.

"Thank you for the compliment concerning the hotel-like accommodations. But you haven't answered my question as to when the children will be discharged." Ana says.

"It should be okay to discharge them later this afternoon after the paper work is done." Dr. Brightman answers. "I understand that you all are holding a press conference mid-afternoon?" Ana nods. "I'll get the paperwork started and once your press conference is over, you may take the children home."

"YEA!" a shout of several voices cheer at the same time. "It will be nice to see Grandma Margaret and Andrew again." Christiana adds.

After Dr. Brightman leaves, Ana finishes helping Gail gather up the lunch items. "Teddy, I would like you to take Jason, Lucas and Elliott Junior home with Mrs. Taylor."

"Why isn't Phoebe coming too?" Teddy questions.

"Phoebe is staying here to help support Ava at the press conference." Ana explains. She leans down and whispers in Teddy's ear. "Mrs. Taylor needs your help with the younger twins, as well as getting ready for a Welcome Home party for the older twins."

Teddy's pout quickly changes to a smile. "Okay Mom." Ana rolls her eyes at the sight of Teddy being as mercurial as his father. Teddy turns to his youngest siblings and cousin. "Come on guys, we need to go home with Mrs. Taylor." He helps them put away their toys in knapsacks, putting one on his back and carrying the other. He takes a hand of each sibling, leaving Gail to take Elliott Junior. Garcia and Pendleton, the younger twins' Security follow them through the hospital to their vehicles. Taylor and Sawyer had already the food containers downstairs to Gail's vehicle.

Christian looks at his watch. "Dad, Roberts, as well as Ms Mann should soon be arriving in preparation for the press conference. We should head downstairs to greet them and ensure everything is set up." Christian looks at Elliott. "Elliott, would you stay here and escort Mom, our wives and daughters downstairs in about fifteen minutes?" Elliott nods agreement. "Thanks, Bro. Taylor has arranged for Sawyer and Cooper to shadow you."

Christian and Carrick leave the room, followed by Taylor. The women refresh their makeup and Ana and Kate go over their speeches once again.

"Mom, what am I supposed to do at this press conference?" Ava asks.

"You don't need to say anything, if you feel uncomfortable, honey." Kate tells her daughter. "If you were up to it, I thought that could you talk about having been a victim of a drunk driver."

"But Mom, I don't remember much about the accident. I was in the shuttle bus, but I didn't see the car hitting us. And then I was unconscious for several days." Ava says.

Phoebe hugs her cousin. "I'll be there with you Ava."

"Thanks Phoebe." Ava says.

"Well, ladies. It's time to head downstairs." Elliott says.

Ana kisses Carrick and Christiana. "Why don't you two lie down and try to have a nap. It could be a couple of hours before you'll be able to leave."

"Okay Mommy." Both say at the same time. The kids settle down in their beds and close their eyes.

Elliott holds the door open for everyone to leave and head to the elevator. Sawyer leads the group and Cooper follows behind. Christian and Taylor are waiting for them when the elevator opens on the ground floor. Christian smiles at Ana and he leans down to give her a quick kiss before taking her hand and leading the way to a meeting room near the lobby. The lobby is quickly filling with various members of the press and media outlets.

Carrick, Mia, Michael Roberts and Mildred Mann are waiting in the room. Christian introduces them to the new arrivals. Mildred steps forward to shake everyone's hands. "Thank you for your support of MADD, but I am sorry for the circumstances that precipitated it."

"Thank you Mildred." Ana says softly.

Michael looks at his ipad. "Okay. It's almost two o'clock. You will all head out to the seats behind the podium. I will thank the press and media for coming on short notice and then introduce Ms Mann. She will give a brief description of MADD, thank the Grey family for their donation and then introduce Mrs Ana and Mrs Kate who will both give short explanations of what prompted the Grey family to make their donation." Michael looks at Ava. "Miss Ava, I understand that you will also be speaking about your experience.

Phoebe squeezes her cousin's hand as Ava nods nervously. "Yes. At least I'll try."

Mildred smiles at Ava. "I appreciate your courage." She looks around the room. "You will certainly have lots of support."

Ava smiles as she looks around at the room full of loving family members. "Yes, I will."

"Okay, everyone. Let's go." Roberts says. He opens the door and escorts Mildred out of the room. They are followed by Carrick and Grace, Elliott and Kate, Ava and Phoebe, Christian and Ana. Taylor and Sawyer follow the group. Cooper had already left the meeting room to position himself near the lobby.

In a room upstairs in the hospital, Jack Hyde is laying in his bed flipping through channels on his television. He stops at a channel when he sees a picture of Christian Grey on the screen. "Fucking bastard." He says out loud. "What the fuck is he doing now?" The image on the screen changes to a young female standing at the back of a room in what is obviously a press conference.

"This is Amanda Porter for King 5 News. Grey Enterprise Holdings has called a press conference here at the Northwest Hospital. It has been speculated that two children of Christian and Ana Grey were brought to this hospital yesterday, along with their security, following a car accident. No report on the status of anyone has yet been released. Members of the Grey family have just been escorted to the front of the room, led by Michael Roberts, Head of GEH Public Relations. It looks like the press conference is about to begin."

Michael Roberts steps up to the podium and speaks into the microphone. "Thank you everyone for coming to this press conference. I have a short announcement to make and then an introduction." He sets his ipad on the podium and reads the prepared text.

_Carrick Grey and Christiana Grey, five-year old twins of Christian and Anastasia Grey were passengers in a vehicle involved in an automobile accident around noon yesterday. Besides the driver of the Grey vehicle, Ricardo Lopez, there was another passenger – Irene Stone. The Grey children received minor injuries and are expected to be released from hospital later today. Mr. Lopez has been transferred from the ICU to a regular hospital room earlier today. Ms. Stone has come out of her coma, but remains in the ICU. The driver and single occupant of the other vehicle was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident._

_The Grey family extend sympathy to the families of Mr. Lopez and Ms. Stone. They ask that that public respect everyone's privacy._

Roberts closes his ipad and looks at the audience. "I would like to introduce Ms Mildred Mann who is here representing the organization Mothers Against Drunk Drivers." He turns to look at Mildred. "Mildred."

Mildred stands and walks to the microphone and smiles at Roberts. "Thank you Mr. Roberts." She turns and faces the audience. "I would like to also thank you all for attending. I realize it was relatively short notice. My office at Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, known as MADD, was taken by surprise this morning when we received a phone call from Carrick Grey. He informed us that the Grey family had decided to donate five million dollars to MADD." She paused while several people in the audience gasped. "During our conversation, Mr. Grey told me that their decision, as a family, came after an incident yesterday involving his grandchildren. And it is not the first time that members of the Grey family…."

Jack Hyde does not hear the rest of Mildred's speech as he has thrown a water glass at the television and broken the screen. "FUCK! I should be the one up there getting the glory of being able to donate money to charity." He rants.


	63. Chapter 63

Michael Roberts closes his ipad and looks at the audience. "I would like to introduce Ms Mildred Mann who is here representing the organization Mothers Against Drunk Drivers." He turns to look at Mildred. "Mildred."

Mildred stands and walks to the microphone and smiles at Roberts. "Thank you Mr. Roberts." She turns and faces the audience. "I would like to also thank you all for attending. I realize it was relatively short notice. My office at Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, known as MADD, was taken by surprise this morning when we received a phone call from Carrick Grey. He informed us that the Grey family had decided to donate five million dollars to MADD." She paused while several people in the audience gasped. "During our conversation, Mr. Grey told me that their decision, as a family, came after an incident yesterday involving his grandchildren. And it is not the first time that members of the Grey family have been victims of a drunk driver. But I will let them tell you themselves." Mildred turns and motions to Kate and Ana who stand and walk together to the microphone. Mildred hugs both of them before taking her seat.

"Hello, I'm Katherine Kavanaugh Grey. I'm here today to speak not as a representative of Kavanaugh Media, but as a Mother. A Mother Against Drunk Drivers." She pauses as she looks fondly at Ava. "I regret that I did not take such a stand three years ago when my only child at that time, my daughter Ava, was a victim of a drunk driver. My only excuse is that at the time, I was devastated as it was touch and go for a while as to whether she would survive. I am glad to say that she not only survived, but was able to make a full recovery and lead the normal life a child should be able to do. Fortunately for our family, we have the financial resources and access to health care to over the medical costs such a recovery entailed. And believe me, it was very expensive." Kate pauses as she looks around the room, many of the people in the audience are colleagues of her. "No family, not just mothers, but any family member, should not have to suffer emotionally or financially because of the stupidity of another individual."

"NO ONE should get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle while under the influence of drugs or alcohol. My daughter was not the only child that day who was a victim. She was on a road trip with her nursery school class and the shuttle bus was carrying nine children. The bus was hit by an 18 wheeler whose driver ran a red light, driving twenty miles above the speed limit. Among the wreckage of the truck, police found several bottles of alcohol, many empty. The truck driver did not survive, nor did the driver of the shuttle bus. All the children were injured, some more severely than others. Fortunately, all of the children survived. If the driver of the 18 wheeler had survived, he would have been facing his fifth conviction for impaired driving. How many changes should the courts permit a person before they kill themselves as well as risk killing or injuring others?" Kate pauses to catch her breath. "I plan on becoming actively involved with MADD and will do my best to make changes." She smiles before adding. "Thank you for listening. I'll climb down off my soapbox now." Kate turns the microphone towards Ana and steps aside.

"Hello, I'm Anastasia Grey. I am also here as a Mother Against Drunk Drivers." Ana bites her lip to prevent the trembling she feels starting. Kate steps forward to put her arm around Ana and motions to Christian to sit back down. Ana takes a deep breath and continues. "Yesterday, two of my children, twins Carrick and Christiana, along with their security personnel, were involved in an automobile accident. The vehicle they were travelling in was hit broadside by a pick-up truck which had run a red light. The driver of the truck was pronounced dead at the scene. All four occupants of the Grey vehicle were transported by ambulances to this hospital. The front passenger, Irene Stone, took most of the impact. She is still in ICU, but the doctors are fairly confident that she will survive as will the driver, Ricardo Lopez. My twins were in the back seat and fortunately only suffered minor injuries and will be released from hospital later today. But none of those four individuals should have suffered ANY injuries. People need to stop thinking they should be allowed to drive while under the influence. And others need to stop allowing people under the influence from getting behind the wheel of a vehicle." Ana grips the edge of podium. "I give you my vow that I will use whatever influence I have as the CEO of Grey Publishing, as well as the wife of Christian Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings, to make people more aware of the consequences."

Kate steps back to the microphone. "You have just heard the views of two mothers who have personally been affected by drunk drivers. We feel that you need to hear from a victim, by daughter Ava Grey."

Ava stands and starts to walk to the podium, but turns back and grabs Phoebe's hand. Phoebe stands and walks with her cousin to the podium. Phoebe raises an eyebrow at Ava who nods in response. Phoebe steps up to the microphone and adjusts it down to her height. "Hello, I'm Phoebe Grace Grey. My cousin Ava is a bit hesitant to speak, so I offered to take her place. I am unable to give you firsthand experience of being a victim of a drunk driver, but Ava has very little recollection of the actual accident or of the time she was in a coma. However, I do feel that I can speak as a victim. Just as my mother and aunt have stated, family members may not suffer the physical injury but are victims as well due to the emotional stress on the family."

"I remember being told of my cousin's accident and having to wait for weeks before I was able to see my best friend as I couldn't see her until she had been released from the ICU. It was upsetting because I had been home sick that day, otherwise I would have been on that shuttle bus with Ava. So not only was I unable to play with my best friend, I also felt guilty because I wasn't beside her at the time of the accident. And then yesterday, when I got home from school, my Great-Grandmother had to tell me, as well as my older brother, that two of our younger siblings had been in a car accident. At that time, she still did not have a status report on their condition." Phoebe bites her lips in an attempt to keep it from trembling, but is unable to stop the tears forming in her eyes. "I am only seven years old and I have already experienced three close family members being victims of drunk drivers. How many more incidences will I experience during my life time? Will we be lucky enough in the future that the individuals will fully recover? People NEED to STOP driving drunk!" Phoebe wipes at the tears flowing down her face and turns into Ava's arms.

Christian jumps up and rushes to his daughter. She turns from Ava's arms to her father's. Christian pulls out a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes at Phoebe's tears. He kisses her on the forehead and turns her over to Ana who assists Phoebe back to her chair before returning to Christian's side. Christian feels tears glistening in his eyes as he steps up to the microphone.

"Well people. You have heard, and seen, the impact on members of the Grey family and how we have been affected. Unfortunately we are NOT alone in these experiences. As stated, we have been fortunate, if you can call it that, that our family members and employees have survived. We are also fortunate that we have had the financial resources to be able to pay for the best medical care available. But we are aware that is not the case for everyone who have been affected by drunk drivers. Many people are unable to afford the initial medical care, let alone the ongoing rehab therapy." Christian turns to Mildred. "Ms Mann, in addition to today's donation from the Grey family, I am taking the liberty on behalf of my family to pledge to continue donating that same amount each year." There is a gasp from the audience. "And I plan on setting up an endowment so that families have access to funds to help cover medical care."

Mildred starts to stand up to go to Christian at the podium when Mia screams and yells "HYDE!" Christian looks over to Mia and sees a man dressed as a maintenance worker with a cap pulled down to hide his face. Before any of the security can nab the man, he grabs hold of Ava, wrapping his arm around her waist so that she is standing in front of him. Hyde pulls out a gun and holds it up to Ava's head.

"FUCKING GREYS!" Hyde spits out. "It should be me up here getting all the accolades and adoration for making extravagant donations. But no, the Greys had to adopt Baby Bird instead."

"Let my niece go, Hyde." Christian says, trying to stay calm. He tries to make eye contact with Taylor and Sawyer without being obvious. "You want me, not my niece."

"Doesn't matter to me whcih family member. Just as long as you suffer, Grey." Hyde spits out. He moves the gun away from Ava's head to point it at Phoebe. "But I agree, your niece wouldn't be as important to you as your daughter, now would she?" he says as he smiles evilly. "Or even better, your wife." He says as he moves the gun to point at Ana. "That FUCKING bitch has caused me enough damage over the years, I should kill her just for the fun of it. I should have done that ten years ago instead of just beating her." He shifts his arm to point the gun at Christian. "Hmmm, tough decision. The Bitch or the Bastard?" he questions as he moves the aim of the gun back and forth between Ana and Christian. "Either way, a bonus as one will die and the other gets to watch."

Just as he is about to pull the trigger, Ava elbows Hyde in the stomach and raises her leg to kick him in the groin with her heel. "OWWW...you fucking bitch!" Hyde screams as his gun goes off and he doubles over in pain, releasing his hold on Ava.

As Sawyer pulls Ana away from the line of fire, Taylor jumps in front of Christian to knock him to the ground. "CHRISTIAN!" Ana screams.

"FUCK!" Taylor screams as he is hit the back of his shoulder by the bullet. "My gun!" he says to Christian as he tries to lift his arm to give Christian access to his shoulder harness before rolling off of Christian. Hyde who has started to recover from Ava's attack and is starting to aim his gun at Christian again when Christian fires Taylor's gun, hitting Hyde in the chest. At about the same time, Sawyer has pulled his gun and takes a shot at Hyde, also hitting him in the chest. As Hyde falls to the floor, Cooper rushes forward to remove the gun from Hyde's hand and to restrain him before attempting to stop the flow of blood coming from his chest. Hospital security call for two stretchers from ER as well as contacting the police.

Grace rushes to Taylor to tend to his gunshot wound. She turns and sees attendants from the ER arriving with stretchers. Grace informs the attendants about the wounds and accompanies the stretcher carrying Taylor to the ER. The attendants tending to Hyde lift him onto a stretcher and Cooper accompanies them to the ER. By the time the stretchers have left, the police have arrived and start questioning people and securing the scene.

Christian takes Ana and Phoebe into his arms and after several minutes, they have stopped trembling. He lifts his head and sees that Elliott is doing similar with Kate and Ava and Mia is in her father's arms. Christian looks around the lobby. _"Fucking media vultures." _he says to himself as he sees the television reporters in front of their cameras and other reporters still snapping pictures and making notes.

"Can we remove ourselves to a private room away from these fucking vultures?" Christian asks one of the police officers. "Roberts." Christian calls to his PR representative. "Deal with these vultures while my family and Ms Mann deal with the police." The police, with the assistance of Hospital Security, have secured the crime scene.

Sawyer leads the way to the private room the family had used earlier before starting the press conference. Once the door is closed and they are away from the prying eyes of the media, Christian lets out a sigh and runs his hands through his hair. "Sawyer, I want to know how the fuck Hyde managed to not only get out of his room and down to the lobby, but how the fuck he managed to get a gun!" Christian says through gritted teeth.

"I haven't had an opportunity to pursue, but just before all hell broke loose out there, an SOS came on my phone from Jackson who is stationed on Hyde's floor. Taylor and Cooper will have received the same message. Cooper was about to leave to investigate when Mrs. Kavanaugh spotted Hyde." Sawyer says.

"There was already a call into police for an incident on the 4th floor of the hospital." The police officer who seems to be in charge informs them. "I'm Detective Hamilton." She says. "Some of my colleagues have gone up there, but I haven't had a report yet."

Sawyer hands his gun, as well as Taylor's, over to Detective Hamilton. "How to you want to proceed, Detective?" Sawyer asks. "It should be a simple case: members of the Grey family were being attacked and threatened, with the potential of anyone in the room being collateral damage. It was self-defense." Sawyer looks at Hamilton. "I suspect that the 'incident' on the 4th floor is Hyde's escape and he must have left victims up there before he managed to get down to the lobby."

Detective Hamilton looks Sawyer in the eye. "That is for the police to determine, Sir." She says. "We will need another room, or more, so that everyone can be interviewed privately." She looks around the room and asks everyone to identify themselves.

Sawyer pulls out his phone when he feels it vibrate. "Fuck!" he groans. He looks at Christian. "It's Gail." When Christian nods, Sawyer answers with a sigh. "Hi Gail." "Relax." "Calm down." As far as I saw at the time it was only a shoulder wound. Dr. Trevelyan accompanied him to the ER but hasn't reported back to us yet. The police may not let her in as we have been isolated in an office away from the media vultures." Sawyer pinches the bridge of his nose as he tries to concentrate. "I need Garcia to stay at the Manor with the children, but he should be able to monitor the command center from the laptop in house office to free up Henderson to drive you into town to the hospital." "Yes, I'm sure Jason would want you here." He disconnects and turns to Christian. "Gail was watching the television coverage of the press conference and saw what happened."

Ana's face turns pale. "Was Teddy or the young twins watching?" she asks.

"I don't believe so." Sawyer answers. "Gail spoke of being in the kitchen with Margaret. The twins were napping and Teddy working on the computer. Gail said that Margaret has talked to Mrs. Livingston and the two of them will keep the children occupied and away from television."

Ana's face relaxes somewhat. She feels her phone vibrate and checks the callerid. "It's Hannah, Luke. Do you want me to answer, or do you want to talk to her to assure her you are okay?"

Sawyer grimaces, but takes the phone from Ana. "Hi Sweetheart." He says. "No, I'm not injured." "As far as I'm aware, Jason was hit in the shoulder and should be okay. Dr. Trevelyan accompanied him to the ER and she hasn't returned yet. I haven't had a chance to check as I'm busy with the police." "Sweetheart, I need to go. The detective is glaring at me right now. I love you. Bye." He returns the phone to Ana. "Thanks."

"Okay. Now that I have your _full _attention." Detective Hamilton says, still glaring at Sawyer. "Detective Singh will stay here with you all while I interview people in the room next door." She turns to Mildred Mann. "Ms Mann, I'll start with you. Please follow me." The two women leave the room and close the door behind them.

Elliott is sitting with his arm around Ava. "Ava, where did you learn the moves that you did on Hyde?"

Ava looks at Phoebe and they share a smile. "Grandpa Ray taught Phoebe and I one time when he was visiting. He told Phoebe that even with all the security she has, it wouldn't hurt for her to know self-defense. He said that Aunt Ana had found the knowledge can come in handy upon occasion." Ava looks questionably at Phoebe, who nods. "He offered to teach us how to shoot a gun when we were older, because knowing how to shoot a gun saved Aunt Ana's life."

Christian runs his hands through his hair as he looks at Ana. "Did you know anything about this, Ana?"

"No, I didn't." Ana tells him. "I think we need to have a talk with my father."

"Speaking of shooting guns, when did you learn to shoot a gun, Bro?" Elliott asks Christian. Elliott glances at their father. "You have always been anti-gun and very reluctantly allowed Taylor and his staff to carry at Taylor's insistence."

Christian looks sheepishly at his father and sighs. "Guess my secret is out. Ten years ago after Ana's attack, Taylor pointed out to me that Ana's knowledge of guns properly saved her life, as well as Teddy's. Once we knew she was on the road to recovery, Taylor started to teach me how to shoot. But I have always refused to carry a gun."

"Christian!" Ana exclaimed. "You never told me that. I thought we agreed to no secrets."

Christian pulls Ana into his arms and kisses her. When he lifts his head, he raises a hand to tuck a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I know. Taylor taught me ten years ago. The only times I have touched a gun since then has been target practice at a shooting range every few months." Christian smiles warily as he looks at Sawyer. "Taylor was sworn to secrecy and even Sawyer was never informed."

Ana wraps her arms around Christian, pulling him as close to herself as possible. "Well, I'm glad he did." She pulls her head back, looks at Phoebe and Ava and frowns. "But I think we need to talk to my father. It's one thing to teach the children self-defence, but it is another to teach them how to shoot a gun."

"Detective Singh, while Jason Taylor is indisposed in the ER, I am Acting Head of Grey Security." Sawyer informs the police officer. "As I said earlier, just before all hell broke loose down here in the lobby, we had an SOS from our security guy on the 4th floor. You have people here investigating 'an incident' on the 4th floor. I need to see about my guy."

Detective Singh sighs. "Okay. I'll send Officer Lakeman upstairs with you. But we do need you back down here for questioning."

"Of course." Sawyer says. He turns to Christian and says "I'll update you ASAP. Let me know if you get a status report on Taylor." Christian nods agreement. As Sawyer and Lakeman turn to leave the room, the door opens and Grace walks in.

"How is Jason?" Sawyer asks.

"Mad as hell." Grace says with a slight smile. "But he's been checked over and he'll be able to go home shortly. Gail just arrived and is most relieved to see for her self that he wasn't injured anymore than he has been."

Sawyer smiles. "I'm sure she would be. He may wish he had been admitted if she starts hovering over him."

"I can understand Gail's concern." Ana says softly. "My heart stopped when Hyde fired the gun." She starts trembling at the memory. Christian rushes to her side to pull her into his arms. She snuggles into his arms, resting her head on his chest. After a few minutes, she stops trembling. Ana turns her head and looks at Grace. "Do you have a status report on Hyde?" she asks hesitantly.

Grace takes a seat beside Carrick, who puts his arm around her. "Hyde was pronounced dead when they got to the ER." She answers quietly.

"Thank fuck for that." Christian says under his breath. He looks across the room and Detective Singh gives no indication that he had heard Christian's comment.


	64. Chapter 64

Detective Hamilton returns to the room and requests that Mia accompany her to the other room.

"Detective Hamilton, is it not possible to have more officers doing interviews? This is going to take all night at the rate you are going." Christian says. "I have two young children upstairs waiting to be taken home to their siblings, as well as an injured Head of Security who needs to be taken home."

Hamilton holds Christian glare. "I understand your concern, Sir. But I'm sure you can understand the need to ensure that we get accurate information from everyone and no opportunity to coordinate stories."

"For fuck's sake!" Christian explodes. "It was a press conference. Every fucking news station from the area had cameras running. My housekeeper saw her husband being shot on live television. How the hell would we be able to change the facts?"

"You're right Mr. Grey. I will be obtaining the television footage, as well as cell phone photos and videos. However, a man was shot to death by two different guns. A thorough investigation is crucial." She continues to hold Christian's glare. "You shot one of the guns. You wouldn't want to have the public think that your wealth allowed you to get away with murder, would you?"

"It wasn't murder. It was self-defense." Christian says through gritted teeth. "That fucker had my niece in his hold and had pointed his gun first at her, then my daughter before threatening my wife and myself. If..."

"Enough Mr. Grey." Hamilton says forcefully. "You can give your statement in due time. You are NOT to give your side of the story in front of others in case you influence their recollection of the events." She looks around the room. "More officers are on their way, and if we are allowed to make use of additional rooms, more people will be interviewed at the same time." She turns to Mia again. "Mrs. Kavanaugh, if you will follow me." She is about to open the door when there is a knock. She opens the door to find several police officers standing outside. "Finally. Just give me a minute to get additional rooms."

She steps out in the hallway and encounters a distressed looking man. "Hello, I'm Benjamin Cunningham, Director of the hospital. Is Mr. Christian in there?"

"He is, but is unable to talk to anyone at the moment due to the on-going police investigation." Hamilton says as she steps between Cunningham and the door. "If we could have access to additional rooms, the interviewing could be sped up."

"Oh most definitely." Cunningham says. "Anything for Mr. Grey. I will make all of these offices along this hallway available to you. I will just ask the individuals to step out for a short time." He turns and starts knocking on doors, asking the occupants to make their office available for half an hour. Hamilton assigns an officer to each individual of the Grey family.

"Just a minute, Detective Hamilton." Carrick says. "My granddaughters are minors and therefore should not be interviewed without a parent present."

Hamilton sighs. "You're correct." She looks around the room. "Would it be okay if you and your wife served as the parents? We will interview you and Dr. Trevelyan first and then your granddaughters."

Carrick looks at his sons and their wives who all nod assent. "Okay. Anything to get this process over with."

Hamilton assigns officers to Carrick, Grace, Kate and Ana while she leaves with Mia. While they are gone, Sawyer returns with Officer Lakeman. "What happened upstairs?" Christian asks.

"Haven't been able to piece together everything, yet." Sawyer says. "Jackson is not injured."

"He should be!" Christian explodes. "What other fucking excuse would he have for letting Hyde get out of his room and down to the lobby to threaten my family!"

"Calm down, Mr. Grey." Sawyer says forcefully. He manages to hold Christian's glare as he continues. "Jackson said that he had seen the prison guard, Tanner, allow a repairman into Hyde's room. A few minutes later, Jackson saw Tanner enter the room. Before the guard reappeared, the repairman left the room. When the guard didn't appear after several minutes, Jackson went to investigate and found Tanner and another man in his underwear both laying on the floor, bleeding from stab wounds and a bloody box cutter laying near them. Jackson immediately sent an SOS out on our phones and sought medical attention for the victims before calling the police."

Christian is running both hands through his hair. "So you're telling me that Hyde got loose because the fucking excuse of a guard allowed a fucking repairman into the fucking room unescorted?" he shouts. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" He takes a deep breath, trying to get his temper under control. "Who the fuck was the half-naked man? How did fucking Hyde manage to get his fucking hands on something to use to stab the men?"

"Still trying to piece everything together, Boss." Sawyer says. "The television screen in the room was smashed. There was a toolbox in the room, so I suspect that the half-naked man was the repairman sent to repair the television. Hyde must have grabbed the knife and stabbed the man before changing into his clothes. When the guard entered the room he must have got stabbed as well before Hyde took his gun and left the room undetected."

"Sweet Jesus." Elliott exclaims. "Are the men dead?"

"No." Sawyer says. "At least not at the scene. They have both been taken to the OR, but no status report is available."

Christian is sitting down, staring straight ahead, almost in a trance, running his hands through his hair. Phoebe sits down beside him and pulls him into her arms, trying to calm him down. "Daddy. Things will be okay." She coos to him. "Mom will be back soon."

Christian wraps his arms around Phoebe. "I know Sweetheart." He says softly. "I'm sorry for bringing all this shit on everyone."

"Daddy, you must watch your language. You know Mom doesn't like it when you use bad words around us children." Phoebe reprimands her father.

Christian smiles and kisses the top of Phoebe's head. "I know Sweetheart." He looks Phoebe in the eye. "Are you going to squeal on me?"

Phoebe tilts her head and looks at her father with a sly smile. "I should. How much will you pay for my silence?"

Elliott laughs and turns to Detective Singh. "Detective, I think we just witness an extortion attempt. Shouldn't you arrest my niece?"

Singh gives a light hearted smile. "I didn't hear any demand for money." He looks at Phoebe. "Besides, I don't think she is hold enough to be accountable of her actions."

Phoebe smiles a Christian Grey mega-watt smile. "That's good to know."

Christian groans. "Thank you very much Detective." He says as he glares at Singh. "It's difficult enough now to control her. And now you tell her she can do what she wants, at least in the eye of the law." Seeing Phoebe's smirk, he says "Don't smirk at me, Phoebe. Daddy Law is still the rule in our household."

Phoebe rolls her eyes and sits back in her seat with a "Humph." She looks at her father through her lashes. "I'll just have to put Grandpa on speed dial and you can deal with my lawyer."

"Phoebe!" Christian moans. He sees the twinkle in her eyes. "Oh Peanut! You continue to be the life of me. I don't know how I'll survive your teenage years."

Phoebe reaches over to pat her father on the cheek. "Like you do now. With Mom's love and support."

Christian laughs and hugs his daughter. "Yes. I can't survive without your mother."

The door opens and Ana walks in. "Christian, Baby! What's wrong?" she exclaims and runs across the room to sit down beside him and pull him into his arms. Christian wraps his arms around her, pulling her head to his shoulder and drawing in the scent of her hair.

"I'm much better now that you're back here, Anastasia." Christian manages to get out. He continues to cling to her. "My fuckedupness endangers everyone's lives."

Ana pulls back in Christian's arms to cup his face between her hands. "What happened while I was gone?" she asks as she searches for an answer in his eyes.

"Christian started to have a bit of a meltdown." Elliott tells Ana. Ana gasps and looks at her husband with concern. "But Phoebe managed to hold him together. At least in the short-term until you returned."

Christian pulls Ana back into his arms and cradles his face in her neck. "You are my saviour, Anastasia. I don't deserve you."

Detective Hamilton walks back into the room with Kate. "Okay. The rest of you, please come with me. I'll take Phoebe and Ava to the rooms where their grandparents are waiting for them and Elliott to another room. Detective Singh, please take Sawyer to the room next door. I will interview Christian." Hamilton says.

Christian stands up, pulling Ana up at the same time. He pulls her into his arms again and gives her a deep kiss. They are both breathless when their mouths part. She runs her hands over his chest before reaching up to cup his face. "I love you Christian."

"I know." He whispers back. "I don't know why as I don't deserve you. I love you too, Anastasia and I will do everything in my capability to show you." He steps away from her and follows Hamilton out of the room.

Kate looks at Ana. They are alone in the room. Officer Lakeman stepped out into the hallway to stand guard at the door. "What was that all about?" she asks Ana. "I haven't seen Christian that shaken since the time you were in a coma after the assault by Hyde."

"I'm not sure." Ana answers. "I didn't get a chance to get the full story. Elliott said that Christian started to have a meltdown, but Phoebe was able to get him under control. All that Christian said was that his fuckedupness endangers everyone's lives. Before I could get him to elaborate, Detective Hamilton returned." Ana starts trembling as the events of the past couple of days catch up with her. "Christian has come so far in ten years. What if this incident with Hyde has set him back?"

Kate pulls Ana into her arms. "Cry, Steele. Let it out. You've probably been holding everything in. I'm sure Christian will be fine once everything settles back down." Ana lets the tears flow while her best friend holds her. Several minutes later, Ana steps out of Kate's arms and looks for some tissues to blow her nose and dry her eyes.

Ana has just pulled herself back together when the door opens and Carrick and Grace enter with their granddaughters. The girls run to their mother's arms. Ana runs her fingers through Phoebe's hair. "How did it go, Peanut?" she asks.

"Okay I guess." Phoebe answers. "The officer just asked for me to tell him what I had seen and heard." She pulls her head back to look at Ana. "Mom, you've been crying." She reaches up to wipe at the tears still glistening in her eyes.

"Everything is just catching up with me, I guess." Ana answers.

"How's Dad?" Phoebe asks. "I was glad you returned when you did."

"I don't know, Phoebe." Ana admits. "He left with Detective Hamilton when you did and he hasn't returned yet. His interview will likely be longer than yours since he fired a gun."

In a room down the hallway, Detective Hamilton continues to grill Christian. The more she pushes, the more he manages to get himself under control.

"As I've told you repeatedly, _Detective._" Christian says forcefully. "I was standing at the podium with my wife during a press conference when I heard my sister shout 'Hyde'. I looked in her direction and saw that fucker take hold of my niece and point a gun at her head." Christian runs his hands through his hair. "I have no fucking idea how the hell he managed to get passed my security to get that close to my family." He shutters at the thought before getting himself back under control. "The fucker taunted me and pointed the gun at my daughter before pointing it at my wife and myself." Christian smiles slightly. "My niece did a move on the fucker just as he shot his gun." The smile turns to a frown as he continues "My wife's security pulled her out of the way at the same time that my security pushed me to the ground. Unfortunately for him, the bullet hit him, in the shoulder, I believe. While he lay on top of me, I was able to pull his gun out of its holster and managed to aim and shoot the fucker. At the same time, my wife's security, Sawyer had pulled his gun and fired." Christian glares at Hamilton. "As I've told you numerous times, it was self-defense. That fucking bastard fired his gun at me, after threatening several members of my family. I shot back, as well as a member of my security detail. His job is the protection of my family members. If we hadn't have both shot, who knows if the fucker would have managed to get another shot off and injured someone else."

Hamilton looks at Christian. "You're saying that the gun you used is not your own?"

"How many fucking times do I need to tell you." Christian says through gritted teeth. "I don't own a gun. I have security who do have licenses to carry concealed weapons. That is part of their uniform." Christian runs his hands through his hair. "I was raised to be anti-guns and when I first hired Taylor, we had many arguments about him carrying a gun. But I had to relent or face him resigning. As my security personnel increased, they were all licensed to carry a gun." Christian closes his eyes. "Ten years ago, my wife, pregnant with our first child, was assaulted by that fucker Hyde when she was delivering the ransom he demanded after kidnapping my sister. The only thing that saved her, and our baby, was that she had taken a gun with her and she shot him in the knee. Taylor forced me to admit that knowing how to shoot might save my life some day, so I reluctantly had him teach me how to handle a gun. But I refused to actually carry one."

"How did you wife get access to a gun ten years ago." Hamilton asks.

Christian runs his hand over his face and sighs. "A psycho ex-girlfriend of mine had broken into Ana's apartment and was holding her at gun point when I arrived. I had managed to get the gun away from her and had forgotten about it as I was more concerned about getting psychiatric help for the woman. When Ana went to deliver the ransom money, she remembered the gun and took it with her." He looks at Hamilton. "But that's in the past. We need only to worry about today."

"So, you had encounters with Jack Hyde ten years ago, one involving a gun and now today. Is it a case that you and your security were 'just' finishing off what your wife didn't accomplish ten years ago?" Hamilton questions.

"You are fucking kidding me, right?" Christian shouts as he jumps out of his chair. "You seriously think that we would arrange for Hyde to put in an appearance at the press conference, where my daughter, niece and pregnant wife and sister-in-law would be in attendance? Just so that we could shoot the fucker in front of the fucking press?" Christian leans his arms on the desk in front of Hamilton and looks down at her. "If we had wanted that fucker dead, we would not have risked the lives of so many people. I'm sure 'an accident' could have been arranged while he was a patient here. Or at any time during the past ten years while he's been in prison. But we do have morals and, as much as I've detested that man, he isn't worth the price of jail time, let alone my conscience."

"You do not intimidate me, Mr. Grey." Hamilton says forcefully. "Get out of my face and sit back down."

She glares at him until he takes a deep breath, sighs and returns to the chair he was sitting in. "Now, I will need to go through the notes my colleagues have taken during their interviews, as well as viewing videos we have obtained and prepare my report. I will also be discussing the case with the District Attorney." She gives a brief smile. "But from what I've heard, everyone's stories are consistent and I ensured that none of you had opportunities to coach one another. My current thought is that the shootings of Jack Hyde was self-defense and there will be no charges laid." Hamilton looks Christian in the eye. "However, I will be leaving the final decision to my superiors and the DA's office." She stands up and walks over to the door. She stands with the door open and says "You may go now, Mr. Grey." She smiles before adding. "Take your family home and enjoy one another."

Christian stands and flashes his mega-watt smile. "I intend to. Thank you Detective Hamilton." He shakes her hand. "I know you've been trying to do your job and I do appreciate you ensuring that everything was done above reproach. I'm sure the press will have a field day and that some of them will be insinuating that my money bought off the police."

Christian strides down the hallway back to the room where the Love of his Life is waiting for him. As he walks into the room, he beams his mega-watt smile and opens his arms wide as Ana runs into them. He wraps his arms around her and captures her mouth with his, forcing his tongue into her mouth. Several minutes later, they pull apart, both breathless. "I love you, Anastasia Rose Grey." Christian says as he cups her face in his hands and gazes into her big blue eyes.

"I love you too, Christian Trevelyan Grey." Ana says before quickly kissing him again. "Can we go home now?"

"Yes." Christian says. "Hamilton has given her okay that we are now done and free to leave." Christian looks around the room. "Is everyone else done?"

"Now that you're back, just waiting for Sawyer." Carrick says.

"I'm here now, Mr. Grey." Sawyer says as he walks into the room. "I take it we've been given the green light that we can leave?"

"Yes." Christian confirms. "Of course, Ana and I still have to finalize the paperwork for the discharge of the twins." He smiles weakly. "They probably think we've forgotten about them."

"The hospital security has managed to get the paparazzi out of the hospital, but they are now camped outside the entrance. Let me call in the troops so we have sufficient coverage to get everyone to their vehicles without be accosted." Sawyer says before he pulls out his phone and sends out a message for all security, except Reynolds, to convene in the lobby.

"Henderson used the limo when he brought Gail in to Jason. It will be used to transport the twins, Phoebe and their parents, accompanied by Reynolds and myself. Henderson will drive Jason and Gail home in the SUV. Ryan will escort Mr. Grey Senior, Dr. Trevelyan and Mia to their vehicles, which Jackson and Carpenter will bring to the door. Cooper will escort Elliott, Kate and Ava to their vehicle when Traynor brings it to the door." Sawyer informs everyone.

"Thank you Luke." Ana says as she gives him a brief hug. Ana turns to Christian and Phoebe. "Let's go get Carrick and Christiana and head home. It's been a very loooong two days."


	65. Chapter 65

Christian, Ana and Phoebe walk into the hospital room of twins Carrick and Christiana to find a tearful Christiana propped up on Carrick's bed looking at Carrick's ipad. Carrick looks up and smiles "HI! We're talking to Teddy. He's wondering when we're going to get home."

Christiana climbs down off the bed and runs to Christian with tears running down her face. "DADDY! I thought you had left us here." She cries. "But Teddy said you weren't at home." Christian picks her up in his arms and rubs her back as she sobs into his chest.

"Shh, Princess." Christian croons. "We've been in the hospital the whole time. Something very bad happened at the press conference and we had to stay to talk to the police."

"Bad?" Christiana questions between sobs. "What happened?"

"Nothing for you to worry about. It's over now and we can go home." Christian says. Christiana's sobbing has stopped and he pulls out a handkerchief to wipe at the tears. He sets up down on her feet. "Are your bags packed?" he asks.

"Yes. We had them packed _hours_ ago." Christiana says as she rolls her eyes. "You told us that we would be going home when we woke up from our nap." She pouts.

Ana and Phoebe had joined Carrick to talk to Teddy. "We'll be leaving the hospital shortly. We've completed the paperwork, now we just have to gather up our stuff and get into the car." Ana tells Teddy. "Please tell Grandma Margaret that everything is okay and we should be home in about an hour."

"Okay Mom." Teddy says. "See you soon." He ends the video call and Carrick puts his ipad away in preparation for leaving the hospital.

Phoebe gathers up the twins' bags while Ana gathers her bags as well as Christian's. Christiana is still clinging to Christian, but let go of Christian for him to assist Carrick into the waiting wheelchair. Carrick is able to balance his bag on his lap, as well as his crutches. Christian carries Christiana in his arms while Phoebe carries Christiana's bag and pushes Carrick's wheelchair. Ana pulls her wheeled bag as well as Christian's. Ana giggles at the sight of her family actually carrying their own bags. Usually there is staff to do it, but at this point, everyone is anxious to get out of the hospital and head home. Given the events of the afternoon and the paparazzi still milling around, their security are on high alert and are already carrying their own bags.

Christian lifts an eyebrow at the sound of Ana's giggle. She smiles and says "It's nice to see we know how to carry our own luggage." Christian smirks in response.

"When we get to the door downstairs, the limo should be waiting for us at the front door. However, there will likely be lots of people wanting to take pictures and yelling questions to us." Christian tells the children. "You are not to say anything, not even wave, okay?" Christian smiles when the children nod in agreement. "We need to let Reynolds and Sawyer, and any other security that may be present, lead us through the crowd between the door and the car. Okay?" Again the children nod in agreement.

The family proceeds through the hospital, led by Reynolds with Sawyer behind them. When they get to the front door, Reynolds stops the entourage to take note of the paparazzi waiting beyond the doors. Jackson, Ryan and Cooper are waiting, having already seen other members of the Grey off in their vehicles. Ryan and Jackson take the luggage out to the waiting limousine with Carpenter behind the wheel. Cooper assists Phoebe to the vehicle, keeping her protected from the press. Ryan pushes Carrick's wheelchair out and gets him settled in the car while Jackson runs interference with the crowd. Cooper, Ryan and Jackson continue doing crowd control while Sawyer assists Ana out while Christian proceeds with Christiana still in his arms. Christiana turns to hide her face in her father's neck when the press start yelling questions at Christian. Sawyer gets in the front passenger seat and signals to Carpenter that they are ready to leave as Cooper, Ryan and Jackson force the crowd to part to create a path for the vehicle.

"Daddy, why was there so many people with cameras yelling at you?" Christiana asks. "It was scary." She says with a quivering lip.

Christian undoes her seat belt and pulls her into his lap. "It's okay Princess." He brushes a lock of hair off her forehead. "We've left them behind." He pulls her against his chest. He lifts his eyes and locks his gaze with Ana. Ana reaches her hand out to take hold of Christian's hand, trying to reassure him.

As the vehicle leaves the hospital behind, Christian and Ana are able to breathe easier. Christiana has fallen asleep on Christian's lap and he does not have the heart to risk waking her up to put her back in her proper seat. Ana unbuckles her seatbelt and slides across the seat to wrap her arm around Christian and lean against him. The limousine stops at the security gate of Grey Manor for Carpenter to punch in the security code, Christian leans over to give Ana a quick kiss. "We're almost home Mrs. Grey." He whispers.

Ana sighs. "Home Sweet Home."

"Yes it is." Christian says with a smile. He gives Ana another kiss. "Especially with you here to share it with me."

As the car comes to a stop at the front door, Christiana wakes up and rubs her eyes. "Are we home?" she asks.

"Yes we are, Princess." Christian tells her.

The front doors open and Teddy and Andrew come running out of the house with toddlers Jason and Lucas trying to follow behind. "Welcome Home!" the four boys shout as Sawyer opens the passenger doors.

Christiana smiles and giggles as Andrew picks her up and spins her around. When he sets her back down on her feet, he pulls a pen out of his pocket and signs her cast. He turns and sees that Carrick has been lifted out of the car and into a wheelchair. Andrew goes over to Carrick and signs his cast. "When we get into the house, I'll show you how I walk with the crutches." Carrick tells Andrews. "I'll need to show Grandma Margaret too."

"I look forward to seeing that." Andrew tells him. "And I know Grandma Margaret is anxiously waiting to see both you and Christiana." Andrew pushes the wheelchair over to the steps and is able to tilt the chair back on its rear wheels to navigate to the two steps up to the open front doors. Christiana runs ahead of them to announce their arrival.

"Come on, let's go into the house." Phoebe says as she and Teddy take Jason and Lucas by the hand to help them back up the front steps.

Christian assists Ana out of the vehicle and they wrap their arms around one another as they follow their children into the house. As they walk, Ana tilts her head to lean on Christian's shoulder with a smile of contentment on her face. She gasps when she steps into the foyer of the house. There are balloons everywhere with a banner reading 'WELCOME HOME' hanging from the bannister. Standing in a circle waiting to greet them is the entire extended Grey family as well as Gail and Jason who has just risen from a nearby chair.

Christiana rushes across the foyer to Margaret. "See my cast, Grandma Margaret?" she says gleefully. She raises her arm to show off the cast. "Will you please sign it?"

"Of course I will Princess." Margaret says with a smile as she hugs and kisses Christiana. "I have a pen right here." She signs the cast. She then walks over to Carrick sitting in the wheelchair and bends down to sign his cast. "There you go Carrick." She stands up and then leans down to hug and kiss Carrick.

"Jason!" Ana shrieks and rushes over to his side. She stops herself at the last second from hugging him and reaches up to kiss his cheek instead. "I'm so happy you're okay, all things considered."

Jason smiles wryly. "Well at least now you all know that I'll take a bullet for Mr. Grey." He says.

Christian had followed Ana across the room. He reaches out to shake Jason's free hand. "Thank fuck for that." Christian tells Taylor. "Seriously, I do appreciate it very much. I don't know how I'll be able to repay you." Christian laughs as Taylor's only response was a smirk and raised eyebrow. "Well yes, a substantial pay raise is without question. I meant my gratitude."

"Mr. Grey, you've done so much for us over the years." Gail says as she smiles fondly at her employer.

Above the noise of the excited children, the sound of a helicopter is heard. "Damn paparazzi." Jason mutters. "Can't they give this family some peace. Especially at the own home." He looks over at Sawyer. "Sawyer, can you deal with it? You'll need to continue being in charge of security for the next while."

Sawyer nods his head in agreement, trying to hide his smirk. "Of course." He says. Sawyer leaves the foyer and heads outside to check out the situation.

"Why don't we all go to the family room so we can all be comfortable instead of standing around here." Ana suggests. When she sees Gail start to head to the kitchen, she says "Gail, please take some time off to look after your man. Kate and I can get refreshments for everyone. Tomorrow, we'll see if Sheila is able to work full-time instead of just the couple of days she does now."

"Okay." Gail says as she smiles at Ana. She turns to Jason and takes his free arm. "Come, My Man. Let's get you comfortable."

They head towards the family room, but stop when they heard a female voice shouting "DADDY!" Everyone turns towards the voice and see Sophie running across the foyer to her father. She throws her arms around him, sobbing into his chest.

"I'm okay Baby Girl." Jason tries to assure his daughter. "I'm fine. Just a little lead in my shoulder." He says with a smirk. "What are you doing here?" he questions. "Shouldn't you be going to classes at WSU?"

Sophie pulls back to look at her father, but keeps her arms wrapped around him. She sniffles and lifts a hand to wipe at her tears. "Sawyer sent James in Charlie Tango to tell me about you being shot and bring me here. As we were leaving campus, James got word that you were "only" shot in the shoulder." She says as she gestures the air quotes. Sophie turns towards the door she had entered. "Come here, James. Don't stand back." She says with a smile holding her hand out to James Conner. James hesitantly walks forward and takes Sophie's extended hand.

"Why was James Conner sent to pick you up?" Taylor questions harshly looking between the clasped hands and Sawyer.

"We've been seeing one another, occasionally, since we met at the anniversary party, Sir." James says as he looks Taylor in the eye. "Or at least we were until Sophie started classes at WSU a few weeks ago. Since then we've kept in touch via computer."

Taylor glares at Sophie. "And you never said anything?" he questions his daughter.

"Dad, I haven't told you about all of my dates for a year or so now." Sophie said. "Not that there have been many." She sees Taylor's reaction and continues. "That's why, Dad. You're about to go all over-protective of me. I'm not a little girl anymore. I don't want to scare off possible boyfriends."

Taylor turns his glare to Gail. "Were you aware of her various boyfriends? James?" he asks his wife.

Gail smiles serenely as she caresses her husband's face. "I don't know about all of them, but some, yes." She turns and smiles at James. "And I did know that Sophie and James had been spending time together before she left for college."

Taylor sighs. He turns his glare to Sawyer. "You must have known about them, if you arranged during all the turmoil today to send James to inform her of my accident and bring her back here."

Sawyer shuffles his feet with his hands in his pockets, trying to look anywhere but at his supervisor. "Hmm, I'll plead the fifth on that." He finally says with a smirk.

"Oh come on, Jason. Relax." Ana says excitedly. "I think Sophie and James make a cute couple." She beams as she looks at the couple. "I introduced them at the reception, you know."

Christian pulls Ana into his arms. "So now you're Cupid, are you?" he says with a smirk. He quickly captures Ana's mouth in a kiss before she has a chance to respond. When he lifts his head several minutes later, Ana is breathless. She looks around and everyone has left the foyer to go into the family room. Christian laughs at her reaction.

Sawyer reappears in the foyer from the family room. "I trust it was okay to commission Charlie Tango to retrieve Sophie?" he asks Christian. "I didn't really have an opportunity to check with you and I wanted to get someone to Sophie as quickly as possible."

Christian smiles. "No, you did the right thing, Luke. I'm sorry I hadn't thought of it myself. Thank you."

Ana steps forward to hug Sawyer. "Thank you for _everything_ you have done the past couple of days. Not that I'm trying to throw you out, but you need to get home to your wife and child."

"I know. I'm just on my way home now." Sawyer says. "But I am just a phone call away." He nods to Christian. "We'll talk tomorrow."

During the next few hours, Ana manages to keep Gail out of the kitchen to spend time with Jason. Gail had been in the middle of dinner preparations when she rushed off to the hospital. Ana and Grace, with Kate's assistance, were able to complete the celebratory Welcome Home party menu as the items were all favorites of Carrick and Christiana: hamburgers, fries as well as mac and cheese.

After dinner, James bids his farewell to everyone, trying his best to ignore Jason's glare as Sophie follows James out of the room to say goodnight in private. When Sophie returns to the family room, she and Gail escort Jason back to their home.

A short time later, Mia and Ethan leave with their children and are soon followed by Elliott and Kate and their family. Margaret and Andrew also take their leave and head to their suites. While Grace and Carrick spend some quieter time with some their grandchildren, Christian and Ana take Jason and Lucas upstairs for their bath and bedtime story. While Grace and Carrick say their goodnights to the youngest twins, Christian carries Carrick Junior upstairs and helps him into his pyjamas and Ana helps Christiana change into her nightie. Grace and Carrick say their goodnights to the older twins before heading back downstairs to say goodnight to Teddy and Phoebe.

"Well, I guess we should say goodnight to you both and head home ourselves." Grace tells Ana and Christian. "It has been a very long, stressful day."

"Yes it has." Ana says as she hugs her mother-in-law and gives her a hug. Ana turns and does the same to her father-in-law. "Thank you for everything. Being there for us the past couple of days and staying here last night to enable Christian and I to both stay at the hospital."

"Well, my dear. I'd say 'anytime'. But I don't think I want to repeat it." Carrick says wryly.

"No, I don't want to either." Christian says. Without hesitation, he steps forward and gives his mother a hug and kiss before turning and doing the same to his father. "To repeat what Ana said. Thank you for being here. Not just the past couple of days, but for the past several decades."

Grace wipes at the tears in her eyes as she and Carrick head out the door. After closing the door, Christian and Ana walk into the family room, hand in hand and watch some television with Teddy and Phoebe. When the program is over, Christian announces it is time for Teddy and Phoebe to head to bed. Although they groan, they do not argue with their father. They understand it has been a long, tiring two days for their parents.

"How are you doing, Baby?" Ana asks Christian as she wraps her arms around him. "We're finally alone now. You can tell me. Elliott said that you had started having a melt down, but Phoebe was able to keep you under control."

Christian pulls Ana closer to his chest and inhales her scent. "Oh Anastasia. The events were all building up in my mind and overwhelming me. My fifty shades of fuckedness was catching up, not just with me, but with family and friends." Christian's body shudders. "That fucker Hyde was taking advantage of an opportunity to finally extract revenge from me, but so many other people could have been injured, or died." He raises his hands to run them through his hair and starts pacing. "Fuck! We don't even know whether the two men attacked in Hyde's room will survive." He turns to look at Ana. "And at the press conference, so many people were there, anyone could easily have been hit by a bullet." He cups Ana's face and stares into her eyes, grey staring into blue. "When he pointed the gun at the girls…" he shudders "..and then turned the gun on you." He brushes his lips against Ana's in a brief kiss. "Sitting in that room waiting to be interviewed by the police, everything was flashing through my mind. If anything had happened to any one of you, it would be fair worse than anything I've experienced in my past."

Ana reaches up to wipe at the tears glistening in Christian's eyes. "We're okay, Christian. Put those thoughts out of your mind." She brushes her lips against Christian's. "Yes, we don't know the status of the guard or repairman, and things could have been a lot worse, but it isn't." She hugs Christian and whispers into his chest. "And Hyde can't hurt us anymore."

Christian closes his eyes and sighs. "I know. But he died at my hands. I shot a gun at another person." His body shudders. "It was difficult enough holding a gun and pulling the trigger at the shooting range. I can't believe that I actually pointed it at someone, even a fucker like Hyde." He looks at Ana. "I killed someone. Even though it was in self-defence, I still fucking killed someone. And I'll have to live with that memory for the rest of my life."

"Oh Baby." Ana says as she cups Christian's face in her hands. "It was a case of shoot or be shot. Jason had already been shot protecting you and who knows which one of us Hyde was going to aim at next." Ana caresses Christian's cheek. "And Luke shot at Hyde too. We don't know which bullet killed Hyde. It could have been the one you shot, or a combination effect of the two, or the one that Luke shot."

"I know, Anastasia." Christian says. "But it keeps playing through my mind and I can't stop the images."

"Why don't I pour you a glass of wine and we go out on the patio and relax in the hot tub before heading upstairs." Ana suggests as she walks her fingers up his chest.

Christian tucks a lock of hair behind Ana's ear and flashes his mega-watt smile. "Sounds good." He grins salaciously. "What about bathing suits?"

Ana grins seductively. "I was thinking birthday suits."

"Oh, Mrs. Grey. You are a naughty girl." Christian grins. "And naughty girls need to be spanked."

"I certainly hope so, Mr. Grey." Ana says before giggling. "Meet you outside." Ana heads to the kitchen and Christian heads to the patio.

A few minutes later Ana walks out the patio door with Christian's wine glass in one hand and a glass of juice for herself in the other. She gasps and drops both glasses at the look on Christian's ashen face. He is standing with his shirt off and belt undone, holding the notebook she was using before Sawyer informed her about the twin's car accident.

"You're leaving me?" Christian manages to get the words out.


	66. Chapter 66

"You're leaving me?" Christian manages to get the words out.

"NO!" Ana shouts. "No!" She rushes to Christian and tries to wrap her arms around him, but he steps aside to avoid her arms.

"Well, what the FUCK is this then?" he shouts, waving the notebook in her face. "_Pros and Cons of staying with Christian?_" Tears start glistening in his eyes. "You made a fucking list weighing the merits of staying with me. The flip side of which is that you were weighing the merits of leaving me. And then have the gall to leave it where anyone could find it?" He throws the notebook to the ground and starts running his hands through his hair as he paces the patio.

"This is because of what almost happened five years ago, isn't it? Hasn't my constant love and devotion been enough?" He sits down on a lounger. "I'm not enough for you." With shoulders slumped, he leans forward with his elbows on his legs and puts his face in his hands and starts sobbing.

Ana side steps the broken glass as she walks over to pick up the notebook and open it to the page where she had written her lists. "Christian Trevelyan Grey! STOP!" she shouts, fighting tears. "I didn't purposely leave it out here to be found by you or anyone else. I had been out here working on the list when Sawyer informed me about the car accident. Getting to the hospital was the only thing on my mind at that point." She shoves the notebook in his face. "Read everything closely. Yes, I made a list. But as soon as I started I knew it was a no brainer. There is no fucking way that I could exist without you."

Christian raises his head and he stares at Ana with sorrow in his eyes. "You can't?" he asks softly as he wipes at the tears running down his cheeks.

"No, I can't." Ana says with a weak smile. "And I wouldn't want to even try. You are the Master of My Universe." Ana reaches out to run her fingers through Christian's hair. "Even if I hadn't already come to that conclusion, your care and compassion the past couple of days would have. Everything we have been through since yesterday has only reinforced in my mind that we were meant for each other."

Christian draws in a deep breath and takes hold of Ana's hand. He raises it to his lips before holding it to his chest. Ana sighs in relief that he is initiating the close touch. "Why did you do the lists?" he asks softly.

Ana looks up at him with sorrow in her eyes. "I _was_ devastated from the revelations of the weekend in New York City. I couldn't concentrate at work. All I could think was that you had finally realized that I wasn't enough for you and you would eventually take another woman either as a submissive, mistress or wife." She runs her hand over Christian's chest. "I asked Kate how she was able to take Elliott back a few years ago and to still stay with him when he almost strayed just a few months ago." At Christian's raised eyebrow she continues. "Yes, Elliott confessed to her about his secretary. Her answer to my question was that she loved him. She had tried five years ago to have a life without him, but eventually accepted that life with Elliott was better than life without him." Ana leans her head against Christian's chest. She says softly "Kate suggested that I do lists to help organize my thoughts."

"You mean I owe Kate Kavanaugh for this shock?" Christian hisses.

Ana pulls her head back to look up at Christian. "NO!" she exclaims. "Like you always do when something upsets you, I made an appointment with Flynn. He also suggested doing lists." Ana shoves the notebook in Christian's face again. "Read ALL of it, not just the heading." She demans. This time he takes the notebook from her and reads through the lists.

"Mr. Sexpert?" he smirks.

"That's what you pick up on?" Ana exclaims with a hesitant laugh.

"Well our mutual love for another is a given, as well as my love for the children." Christian says. He sets the notebook down and pulls Ana back to his chest. "And yes, I do worship you and will always do everything within my power to protect and shelter you from all the evils of the world." He kisses her. "I love everything about you." He tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear and leans down to whisper "I'm glad you view me as the 'Master of your universe." Ana giggles. "My favorite sound." Christian says with a smile.

Christian sits down in the lounger and pulls Ana down onto his lap, facing him. He gazes into her eyes. "Ana, I will do everything within my power to win your trust back. I am _so_ sorry that I have given you reason to doubt your trust in me. You _are_ enough for me. You always have been. It is _me_ that is not enough for _you_. And sometimes I still let my old demons get the best of me." Christian raises a hand to caress her cheek. "I only keep secrets from you because I want to protect you from the evils of the world." He tries to grin as he says "If I could, I'd keep you locked up in an ivory tower, away from all the negative things in life." He sighs at the look in her eyes. "I will _try_ to keep you more informed." He smiles "But there isn't much I can do about the impact of _our_ extreme wealth has on our family life." He smirks. "Unless we give it all away and we both take minimum wage jobs."

Ana tries to smile. "Knowing you, you'd just set out and create another empire. And then we'd be back in the same situation." She lifts her hand to run her fingers through Christian's copper locks. "I think I've come a long way in adjusting to the constant presence of security and the paparazzi in my life. And the children have never known any other life. For them, constantly surrounded by security _is_ a normal life." She says sadly.

Christian frowns. "And the events of the past couple of days show that even with security, our children aren't totally protected."

Ana runs her hand through the hair on Christian's chest. "The accident had nothing to do with security. It was a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. If we were a 'normal' family, either you or I would have been behind the wheel of the car when it was hit by the drunk driver." She shudders as she continues "And with the scene at the hospital, I told you that Hyde was sneaky. He managed to get around security ten years ago to sabotage Charlie Tango and into Escala before enlisting Elizabeth's help to kidnap Mia. And even with the security you had in place today at the hospital, he still managed to get away and almost killed us." Ana's eyes start to glisten again with tears. "And Jason has a bullet in his shoulder."

Christian pulls Ana closer to his chest. "Don't remind me." He cups her face in his hands and gazes into her eyes. "But we no longer have to fear Hyde. He is gone. Finally."

Ana pulls her head back and narrows her eyes as she looks at Christian. "Are you trying to tell me something? Did you and Jason arrange for the shoot out with Hyde?"

"WHAT?" Christian exclaims. "FUCK NO! I admit I have no remorse for his death, or my part in it. But to have set up the situation? No! I can't believe that you would even think that I would endanger anyone's life, let alone yours, the children or anyone else in the family to bring down that fucker."

Ana continues to hold Christian's gaze. "Well with all the secrets you keep from me, with the excuse of protecting me, I just thought I would ask. It just occurred to me that it was very convenient that Hyde managed to get out of his room, with a gun, and confront us in front of a very public audience. And not only did Luke shoot him, but you pulled out Jason's gun and managed to hit Hyde as well. Was the reason you learned to shoot a gun to be able to shoot Hyde if the opportunity ever presented itself?"

Christian looks at Ana without blinking. "No, although that thought had crossed my mind on more than one occasion. Jason had made me realize that his job would be easier if he had the knowledge that I knew how to handle a gun. He kept harping on your knowledge of guns probably saved, not only your life, but that of Blip's as well, when you delivered the ransom money without security backup." He leans forward and kisses Ana lightly on the lips. "And today he was proven right. When he went down protecting me, I was still able to defend not just myself but also my family. Yes, Luke was also there today and able to shoot as well, but we could easily have been in a situation that there was only Jason and myself. And I could have been a lame duck."

"Or a fucked-up duck?" Ana suggests as she giggles.

Christian laughs as he pulls Ana to chest again. "Oh, I love that sound." He groans as Ana rubs against his groin. "The only sound I love better is hearing you having an orgasm, Anastasia."

"Hmmm." Ana says as she grinds even harder in Christian's lap. "Really, Mr. Grey?" She smiles as she says "I guess you'll need to remind me, it's been awhile." She leans down to run her tongue over his lips. When he gasps, she slides her tongue into his mouth and her hands pull his head closer to her. She pulls back several minutes and they are both breathless. "Fuck me, hard, in the hot tub." Ana manages to say.

Christian rubs his nose against Ana's before starting to run his lips over Ana's neck. Between kisses he whispers in her ear. "No, I want to make love to you in our bed." He smiles as Ana moans. "I want to worship you, Anastasia. All over." He growls.

Christian lifts Ana off his lap to stand between the lounger. He flashes his mega-watt smile when he sees she is unsteady on her feet. Christian quickly stands and lifts Ana into his arms. She snuggles against his bare chest, wrapping her arms around his neck. As Christian starts to head into the house, Ana whispers "I don't want to break the mood, but we shouldn't leave the notebook out here. Or the broken glass."

Christian groans sets Ana down. He picks up the notebook as Ana goes into the house to return with a broom, dustpan and garbage bag. Christian holds the bag while Ana scoops up the broken glass and deposits it in the bag. Christian takes Ana's hand as they walk into the house to dispose of the garbage bag and cleaning tools. Christian hands the notebook to Ana and scoops Ana back up in his arms. He strides through the house and up the stairs to the master bedroom.

In the bedroom, Christian stands Ana on her feet beside the bed. He starts to kiss her slowly, his tongue invading her mouth as soon as her lips part. His hands start to unbutton her blouse and his lips follow his fingers, kissing the exposed flesh. When he pulls the blouse from Ana's body, he tosses it on the floor. Christian goes on bended knee as he undoes the button and zipper of Ana's skirt. As he pulls it down over her hips, he kisses the newly exposed flesh, starting with her baby bump.

Ana clenches her fingers in his hair to keep herself steady. Christian's lips and tongue follow the line of Ana's thong. "Your scent is exquisite, Anastasia." Christian growls. He lifts his eyes to look at hers. "How wet are you?" he asks with a smile as he eyes glaze over. His hands cup Ana's ass and pulls her groin to his mouth. He kisses her through her panties, before gripping the edge of the thong with his teeth and pulling it down her legs.

Christian stands and grabs Ana by the waist to lift her up and away from the skirt and thong pooled at her feet. He sets her back on her feet. "You're still overdressed, Anastasia." He says huskily as he looks at Ana standing in her high heels front of him wearing her bra.

Ana smiles salaciously at him, holding his gaze as she reaches her arms around to her back and releases her bra. She pulls it off and tosses it at him. As he deftly catches it, she puts her hands under her breasts to lift them higher as an offering to him. Christian's grey eyes gleam as he steps forward and captures her left nipple in his mouth and swirls his tongue around it. After several minutes, he transfers his mouth to the right nipple.

Christian gradually moves his mouth from Ana's nipple up her chest and throat until he captures her mouth once again. Ana's mouth eagerly opens inviting Christian's tongue entrance. By the time they break apart, both are breathless and weak legged. Christian pulls back the bed cover and then picks Ana up in his arms and places her in the center of their bed. He stands at the end of the bed, gazing at her.

"You look gorgeous Anastasia. Naked in my bed with your hair spread out around you." Christian manages to get the words out. He smiles wickedly "It's tempting to restrain you with laying like that, arms and legs spread out." He reaches over to run a finger along her left leg. "But tonight I need to know that you're here of your own free will and I don't need to restrain you." He replaces his finger with his mouth. "And. I. Want. You. Free. To. Touch. Me." He says betweens kisses. When his mouth reaches Ana's foot, he lifts it in the air and removes her shoe and then repeats with the other leg.

He grins as Ana writhes around on the bed. "Control, Anastasia. Keep still, or I'll have to start all over again."

Ana giggles "Maybe that's the plan." She whispers. "CHRISTIAN." She shouts as he nips her toe in response. Christian smirks as he kisses where he had nipped.

Christian steps away from the bed to strip off the rest of his clothes. He flashes his mega-watt smile when he sees Ana licking her lips in anticipation. At the foot of the bed, Christian crawls up on the bed until he is positioned between Ana's wide spread legs. He lifts her left leg up onto his shoulder as he runs his hands down and then back up her leg. He repeats the process with her right leg. He then replaces his hands with his mouth. He kisses and nips his way up and down her legs until she is begging for release. Christian's lips curl into a grin against her sex. "Oh yes, Anastasia. You are certainly ready." He says huskily. "But I'm not done worshiping you." His tongue darts out and runs along the folds of her sex before swirling it around while his thumb rubs her clitoris.

"OH GOD! CHRISTIAN!" Ana screams.

Christian eases up on his motions as he looks up at Ana. "Control, Anastasia. I want to worship you."

"Worship be damned!" Ana shouts. "I'm going crazy." She manages to get the words out.

"That's the intent." Christian smirks and then returns his mouth to Ana's sex. As Ana starts screaming again, Christian speeds up the motion of his lips and tongue.

"OH GOD!" Ana screams. "OH GOD!" "CHHHRRIISSTTTIIAANNN!" she screams as her body is overcome with her orgasms. As Ana comes, Christian continues licking and sucking at a slower place until her body stops trembling. As Ana calms down, Christian grins and resumes his actions at a faster pace again. He continues until Ana's body starts to explode and she starts screaming again. He grins as he kisses his way up her body as it is still writhing until he captures her mouth, muffling her screams.

"Shhhh! You'll wake the house up!" Christian says as he flashes his mega-watt smile at his wife. "I'm glad you remembered my name. I was being to think I was God."

"You _are_ a sex god!" Ana giggles. "I thought we had Elliott sound proof this room during the renovations when we bought the house?"

"We did." Christian responds. "But you were screaming so loud, I'm sure even the best sound proofing wouldn't be able to muffle it." Christian laughs. "Ouch!" he says laughingly as Ana nips him in the shoulder.

Ana lifts her hands to cup Christian's face to gaze into his eyes. "I love you, Christian Trevelyan Grey."

Christian gazes back at Ana. "I love you too, Anastasia Rose Grey. With all my heart." He brushes a lock of Ana's hair away from her face. "I never had a heart before you stumbled into my office and I discovered I wanted 'more', but _only_ with you. From that day on, you have been the _only_ woman I have wanted or needed."

Tears glisten in Ana's eyes at the heart felt words. "And you have been the only man I have ever wanted or needed."

Christian props himself on his side and leans down and captures Ana's mouth in a long, leisurely kiss. He reaches out a finger to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. He then runs his hand down her face to caress her breast before moving down to her hip. He moans when Ana's hands mirror his movements on his body. Christian growls when Ana's hand wraps around his stiffening cock. Ana smiles at his response.

"I want you, Christian." Ana says. "I want you in me. Now!"

"I want you too, Anastasia." Christian responds. "But tonight I need to worship you. Tonight is all for you." Christian manages to get the words out as Ana continues to pump his cock. Christian leans over to take a nipple in his mouth. He swirls his tongue around it before lightly nipping at it. At Ana's catch of breath, he lathes it again with his tongue. His hand runs down her body before pulling a leg over his hip. He lifts himself up and positions himself over Ana's body. His cock teases Ana's vagina, rubbing at its entrance before rising up away. Ana groans in frustration and then smiles as Christian lowers himself back down.

Christian's grey eyes lock with Ana's blue eyes. "Is this what you want, Anastasia?" he asks with a raspy voice. "Tonight is for you, and only you. I want to make love to you. Nice and slow."

"Yes, Christian. I want to make love with you. Nice and slow. All night long." Ana responds with a smile as her eyes glaze over.

Christian slowing enters Ana before pulling out. He grins at her groan of frustration. Ana wraps her legs around Christian in an attempt to keep him close to her body. He continues to slowly move up and down, straining his arms as they hold his weight above Ana's body. Ana runs her hands over Christian's back, digging her nails in as support as she raises her pelvis up to meet him. The gaze of Christian's grey eyes are locked with Ana's blue eyes. Ana gasps and then smiles serenely at the look of love and adoration in the grey eyes.

Ana bites her lip as she feels the beginning of another orgasm. Christian's finger releases her lip from her teeth. The heat in Christian's eyes reflect the effect her lip biting has on him. "Yes, Anastasia. Come for me." Christian encourages as Ana climaxes. Christian continues moving his cock in and out of Ana's vagina while they ride out her climax.

"Oh Christian!" Ana shouts as she feels another climax building.

"Anastasia! I love you." Christian shouts as his climax starts. His thumb rubs Ana's clitoris and she explodes in another orgasm simultaneously with Christian.

"Christian! I love you. I love you." Ana chants as her breathing returns to normal.

Christian falls onto his back on the bed. "That was fantastic." He exclaims. He rolls over on his side to gaze down at Ana. "You have taught me how fucking fantastic vanilla sex can. Just you and me showing love for one another."

Christian leans down to kiss each eyelid. "Time to go to sleep. You've had a couple of long, stressful days." He gets out of bed to retrieve the bedcover and pulls it up the bed. He gets back into bed and pulls Ana into his arms. Ana is soon asleep and Christian lies beside her watching her sleep – one of his favorite pastimes.

He sighs as sleep evades him. He is unable to get the image out of his head of Ana leaving him. Tears glisten in his eyes as he acknowledges that his actions five years ago have had far more ramifications than he had ever thought. Five years ago he had come to his senses at the last second and stopped himself from entering the BDSM club with Gabriella Romano. Even in his drunken state of mind that night, he had no desire to have sex with any woman but Ana. When the opportunity had presented itself for him to return to the location which held bad memories of his time with Elena, he thought he might be able to exorcise some demons. Fortunately, sanity had kicked in and he realized that any demons a revisit may banish, it would open up a lot more new demons. Christian shudders as he acknowledges that those new demons had arrived but had been dormant for the past five years. And to make matters worse, his actions created demons that Ana had had to deal with for the past five years. "_Why the fuck she didn't kick my sorry a_ss _out the door five years ago, I don't know. How the fuck can I redeem myself in her eyes? I gave her hearts and flowers in the boathouse when I properly proposed ten years ago to show that I could do hearts and flowers after all. What the fuck can I do now?"_

Christian tosses and turns as he tries to think out a course of action to show his love and devotion to Ana. Ana turns in her sleep and snuggles up to Christian with her back to him. He groans as her ass rubs against his quickly hardening cock. "Love Christian. Never Leave." Ana softenly says in her sleep.

He puts his arm around Ana to hold her in place and soon falls asleep.


	67. Chapter 67

The next morning, Christian and Ana walk downstairs together, holding hands. Ana is still glowing from making love numerous times during the night, as well as the shower sex they had just a few minutes ago. When they enter the kitchen they find Gail doing her usual breakfast duties.

"Gail!" Ana exclaimed. "I thought I told you to take time off to look after Jason. I will see if Sheila can work full-time while you're doing that."

"I know. But she wouldn't be here for breakfast duty this morning." Gail responded. "I've already done breakfast for Jason and he's checking some things in his office, waiting to discuss Security coverage with Mr. Grey. So I figured I'd do breakfast and then turn things over to Sheila." Gail laughs. "Don't worry. I'll make sure Jason gets enough rest. Even if I have to handcuff him to the bed."

Ana giggles. "Well, you know where you can borrow some, if necessary."

Gail smiles as she says with a wink. "Thanks, but I won't need to borrow any." She laughs when Christian grabs a cloth to clean up the coffee he spewed out of his mouth.

"Gail do you think Jason will be able to get enough rest at home. Or do you think you should take him away somewhere?" Ana asks. "Cost would be no problem, as Christian and I would pay for it."

"Thank you for the kind offer, Ana." Gail answers. "But I think Jason would worry so much not being on site that it would hinder his recovery time. At least here, he can still be aware of what's going on."

"Okay. Just let me know if you change your mind." Ana says. She turns to Christian. "Christian, I think Luke should take a few days off. He's been working around the clock the past few days and hadn't been home with Hannah and the baby while he was protecting our children at the hospital." Ana runs her hands over Christian's chest. "I would like to offer them the use of the house in Aspen for the next few days and the use of the GP jet. I can manage the office without Hannah for a few days."

"Sounds like a good idea, Ana." Christian says as he lifts Ana's hands up to his mouth to kiss them. "But can we manage without Sawyer being here to head up Security while Taylor is indisposed?"

"It would just be for a few days." Ana points out. "And as Gail said a few minutes ago, Jason will still likely be involved with Security even though he's been injured."

Christian closes his eyes before opening them to gaze at Ana. "Anything for you, Ana." He says. "I'll make the offer during my debriefing with Taylor and Sawyer after breakfast."

"I need to go into the office today to deal with things that had come up during the past couple of days while I've been out of the office." Ana says. "As well as making arrangements for someone to cover for Hannah for a few days."

"We should keep Carrick and Christiana at home for a few days. Mrs. Livingston can keep an eye on them in addition to Jason and Lucas." Christian says. "Ana, would you phone the school while I go upstairs to carry Carrick downstairs. It will be easier on him for me to carry him down the stairs than him trying to navigate them. We'll need to set up a bed for him in the family room for naps."

Ana gives Christian a quick kiss. "You think of everything, Mr. Grey." She reaches for her phone as Christian heads upstairs. A few minutes later, Christian is back downstairs with Carrick, followed by Christiana. Teddy and Phoebe are just behind them, carry their school knapsacks which they set down in the foyer before heading to the kitchen for breakfast.

"Daddy says we don't need to go to school for the rest of the week." Christiana announces to Ana and Gail as she bounces into the kitchen.

"I know Princess." Ana says. "We need you to help Mrs. Livingston with Carrick. He's managing to get around with his crutches, but will tire easily. So you can be his extra feet, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy." Christiana says. "I'll be Carrick's nurse."

Christian wraps his arms around Ana from behind and whispers in Ana's ear. "You can be my nurse anytime, Mrs. Grey." He kisses her neck just below the ear. He smirks when he feels her shiver. "Now that I think of it, you haven't dressed up in your nurse costume recently. Maybe tonight?" He laughs as Ana blushes.

"Mommy, why are your turning red?" Carrick innocently asks. Christian laughs louder and Gail smirks.

"Ask your father." Ana answers.

"She often turns red when Daddy kisses her neck." Phoebe says. "Maybe she's allergic to him."

A short time later, breakfast is over and the older children have left for school with their security detail. Christian heads into his home office for his debriefing meeting with Taylor and Sawyer before he leaves for his office at Grey House. Ana gets Christiana and Carrick settled in the family room for the day. She has set up daybeds for both children and has talked to Mrs. Livingston.

While Ana waits for Christian's security meeting to be finished, she thought she would check the local news for coverage of yesterday's events. She smiles as she watches the video of Amanda Porter, the news reporter from King 5 Television News who had done a positive story on Phoebe's lemonade stand.

_Christian Grey and his extended family never do things by half measures. The day after two of his children, twins Carrick and Christiana, were injured in an automobile accident, allegedly caused by a drunk driver, the Grey family called a press conference to present a donation to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. _

_The generous donation of $5 million dollars was accepted by Mildred Mann, a representative from MADD. As a follow up, Christian Grey stepped up to the microphone to announce that in addition to today's check, the family was pledging a donation on an annual basis as well as establishing a fund to cover medical expenses for victims of drunk drivers._

_Prior to the presentation of the donations, speeches were made by the Grey mothers who had had children involved in accidents by drunk drivers. Katherine Kavanaugh Grey gave a tearful account of the accident three years which severely injured her daughter Ava Grey who was four years old at the time. Her story was followed by Anastasia Grey who gave a summary of the accident from the day before which spurred the Grey Family to band together and publicly support MADD. But the most heart wrenching story was from Phoebe Grey, eldest daughter of Christian and Anastasia Grey. She stepped in at the last minute when her cousin, Ava, was too nervous to give her personal recollections of her own accident. Miss Grey had a poignant question for people: at the age of seven, she has experienced three family members, all children, being injured by drunk drivers. How many more will she experience during her lifetime and how severe will the injuries be?_

_Phoebe Grey appears to be poised for a career in public speaking and involvement with fundraising. If you remember, just a few months ago, she set up a lemonade stand in front of Grey House, the headquarters of her father's business empire, Grey Enterprises Holdings, Incorporated. She and her siblings and cousin Ava, were selling lemonade and cookies to raise funds for Coping Together, a charity started a number of years ago by her paternal grandparents Carrick Grey and Doctor Grace Trevelyan-Grey. That charity continues to be supported by all of the members of the Grey family._

_Unfortunately, Miss Grey's emotional speech was soon overshadowed by a gunman who pulled a gun on several members of the Grey family before firing in the direction of Christian Grey himself. Prior to firing the gun, the attacker had taken hold of Christian Grey's niece, Ava Grey. Fortunately for everyone, she must have had some self-defence lessons as she was able to elbow and knee her attacker in an attempt to get away._

_Mr. Grey's personal bodyguard, Jason Taylor, saved his employer, but was shot in the shoulder when pushing Mr. Grey to the ground. While on the floor, Mr. Grey pulled out Mr. Taylor's gun and shot the attacker. At the same time, Mrs. Grey's personal bodyguard, Luke Sawyer, also took aim and hit the attacker as well._

_According to police reports, the attacker was one Jack Hyde who has been serving time in prison for the kidnapping of Christian Grey's sister Mia and physically assaulting a pregnant Anastasia Grey when she delivered the ransom money ten years ago. Mr. Hyde had been admitted to the hospital on the weekend, suffering stomach pains. He somehow managed to subdue his guard, steal the guard's gun and escape down to the lobby where the press conference was underway._

_This has been Amanda Porter reporting for King 5 News from the Northwest Hospital in Seattle._

Proud mother Ana forwards the video to the email accounts of various family members. Ana thought she would tempt fate and checked the website for _Seattle Nooz_.

_SHOOT OUT AT LOCAL HOSPITAL_

_In his typical domineering fashion, earlier today Christian Grey commandeered the lobby of the Northwest Hospital in Seattle to flaunt his wealth to the public by announcing a donation he was giving to Mothers Against Drunk Drivers. Although the official announcement was that the donation of $5 million was from the entire Grey family, we all know who has the money in that family._

_Yesterday's automobile accident which injured two of Grey's children was the driving (pun intended) force behind the overwhelming donation. And to illustrate the family's "connection" to MADD, Grey paraded not only his wife, Ana, but also his sister-in-law, Kate out to give speeches. He also attempted to parade his niece, Ava, a survivor of a drunk driving accident herself, but she didn't cow tow to the Great Christian and his protégé, Lemonade Stand Princess Phoebe spoke instead. Her tear jerking question to people as to how many more times she will experience family members suffering at the hands of a drunk driver was interrupted by a shoot out. Yes, a Shoot Out, not at the OK Corral, but at Seattle's own Northwest Hospital._

_Jack Hyde, the former Grey employee who was convicted for the kidnapping of Grey's sister and the assault of Grey's wife 10 years ago was apparently a patient in the same hospital. Coincidence? This sick man somehow escaped from his guarded hospital room, and showed up in the lobby threatening various members of the Grey family with a gun before firing at Christian Grey. His aim was skewed at the last second when Ava Grey, who was in his hold at the time, elbowed him in the gut and kicked him in the groin. Where does a 7 year old learn moves like that? _

_Grey's personal bodyguard earned his keep today as he took a bullet for his employer by jumping between Grey and the bullet. In a blink of the eye, Grey pulled out his guard's gun and shot Hyde at the same time that Ana Grey's body guard also fired. Police will not say which man got the kill shot. Cover-up?_

_Who knew that Grey could handle a gun? Haven't the Greys always been proponents of anti-gun laws? _

_Is this just one more example of Christian Grey viewing himself above the law? Was it really self-defence, or was Christian Grey finally getting his revenge on the man who had assaulted his pregnant wife 10 years ago._

_It will be interesting to see how the Seattle Police and District Attorney handle the situation. But The Seattle Nooz predicts that no charges will be laid against either Christian Grey or the body guard. We will be watching to see if there is a sudden influx of money either at the Police Department or the District Attorney's Office in the near future. Or maybe even both locations._

Ana turns her iPad off and sets it aside with a sigh. _"Why does Simon have such resentment against Christian? Or does he hate all Greys simply because Kate ended their engagement to go back to Elliott?" _she wonders to herself.

Ana is reaching for her phone when it rings, indicating that the caller is Kate. "Hi Kate! I assume you have read the latest _Nooz_?"

"Yes, I have. Damn that Simon." Kate hisses. "I can't believe that I actually planned on marry that man at one time. But he certainly wasn't like this then. If he had been, I wouldn't have even dated him, let alone have slept or planned to marry him."

"I was wondering that myself." Ana says. "Is it all Greys that he hates? Because you dumped him to return to Elliott? Or is it just Christian that he hates?"

"Well, he never did care for Christian." Kate says. "But I believe the feeling was mutual. I always had the feeling that Christian only tolerated Simon's presence with me for the sake of our friendship." Kate laughs before adding "Much like Christian has always just tolerated me for your sake."

Ana giggles. "That may have been true in the beginning, Kate. But I think you've grown on him over the years and he was impressed with the way you handled yourself five years ago during your separation and divorce from Elliott."

"I loved the coverage done by Amanda Porter." Kate tells Ana. "I've been trying to get her to come work for Kavanaugh Media, but so far I haven't been able to entice her away from Channel 5. I think she's hoping for national exposure."

"I must admit that I'm a very proud Momma." Ana brags. "I'm really impressed with the way Phoebe spoke yesterday. You and I labored over our speeches and little ol' Miss Phoebe just steps in at the last second to replace Ava and spoke off the cuff." Ana giggles. "Christian will really have to start looking over his shoulder. I think she'll make an attempt to overthrow him as CEO of Grey Enterprises sooner rather than later."

"Oh I can't wait to see that!" Kate says with a laugh. "Are you going to sell tickets? I'll be first in line."

"I better check to see if Christian has the new security protocol finalized so we can head into work. I'm sure we both have quite a back log as we've been away from our offices." Ana says.

"Okay. Laters, Baby." Kate says and disconnects.


	68. Chapter 68

Ana knocks on the door to Christian's office and enters. She smiles as Christian's eyes light up when he sees her. He jumps up out of his chair to pull her into his arms and kiss her. "You wanted to see me about something?" he asks.

"Oh, Mr. Grey, I _always_ want to see you." Ana purrs. "But I thought I would draw to your attention the latest _Seattle Nooz_ and what venom Simon Rogers is spewing today. On a better note, check out the video of Amanda Porter from King 5. I think you'll like that one."

"Well, she is very easy on the eyes." Christian smirks. "I see that eye roll, Anastasia."

"Laters, Baby." Ana says with a laugh. "Are you just about done with all the security changes?"

"Yes. We have everything arranged." Christian grins at Taylor. "Sawyer and I have convinced Taylor that he needs to take a break to ensure a speedy recovery. He reluctantly agreed only after we compromised that he could help monitor things in the Security Office but will consult with Sawyer on day to day operations."

Christian then turns to smile at Sawyer. "And Sawyer has agreed to take a few days off and take his family to Aspen for a mini-vacation as you suggested. During his absence, Ryan will be your security and Reynolds will be mine until Taylor is back full-time."

Christian looks pointedly at Ana. "Don't go pulling any stunts with Ryan. He's been with us long enough to be aware how you try to resist security. He'll need to answer to Sawyer and Taylor, but you'll need to answer to me. Understand."

Ana smiles serenely as she salutes Christian. "Yes, _Sir_." She smirks as she sees Christian's eyes blaze with desire. "I'm ready to go whenever Ryan is ready."

"Just give us a few minutes to update the team on their _temporary_ assignments." Sawyer says, looking at Taylor as he emphasizes the word 'temporary'.

"Okay. I'll be in the family room with the kids." Ana says.

"What the fuck do you mean that Mrs. Grey isn't here?" Christian shouts at Donna Fitzgerald, the unfortunate woman who is filling for Hannah Sawyer at Grey Publishing. She is cowering under the domineering glare of CEO Christian Grey. Christian had been in meetings all morning once he had arrived mid-morning and thought he would surprise Ana by showing up unannounced to take her out for a late lunch. Knowing Ana, he was sure that she wouldn't have stopped for lunch.

Donna's lip is quivering and she bites it in an attempt to hold back the tears that are starting to form in her eyes. "She...she...took a phone call I passed through and within minutes she was rushing out the door." Donna manages to get out. She grabs a tissue from Hannah's desk and blows her nose.

Christian is pacing Hannah's office, running his hands through his hair. "Who was the caller?"

Donna looks through her notes. "A Mr. Rodriguez, Sir. From Portland."

The blood drains from Christian's face. "Jose Rodriguez?" he questions in a strangled voice.

"Yes Sir." Donna replies.

"She didn't tell you where she was going?" Christian yells.

"No, Sir." Donna says through her tears. "I realized ten minutes later, when I went into her office to leave a manuscript on her desk, that she had left her purse behind."

"She didn't take her purse? What about her phone?"

"I don't know Sir. I didn't take the liberty to look in her purse. I didn't see her phone on the desk top." Donna answered.

Christian charges into Ana's office and locates the purse. He looks inside and pulls out her phone. He drops the purse and throws the purse across the room. "FUCK!" He pulls out his phone and pushes a button. "I need Ryan's location immediately. And Mrs. Grey's SUV." He barks. He rushes through the outer office without saying anything further to Donna.

When Christian exits the Grey Publishing building, his phone rings. "Grey." He barks into the phone as he heads to his SUV.

"Sir. According to the tracking device on Mrs. Grey's SUV, it just left Grey Manor and is now on I5 heading south."

"Put me through to Ryan." Christian barks.

"I'm sorry Sir. I tried to contact him, but his phone keeps going straight to voice mail."

"Try again." Christian barks. Christian turns to bark at Reynolds. "Grey Manor."

"Sorry Sir. The call is still going to voice mail."

"FUCK!" Christian shouts. Reynolds looks in the rear view mirror and seeing the expression on his employer's face, and accelerates the SUV, cutting in and out of traffic as fast and safely as possible.

As soon as the SUV pulls up to the front of Grey Manor, Christian has his seatbelt undone and out of the vehicle without waiting for Reynolds to open the door.

Sheila, Gail's assistant housekeeper, enters the foyer from the kitchen. "Mr. Grey! What are you doing home?" she asks surprised.

"Was Mrs. Grey here?" he asks.

"Yes she was very briefly." She says. "She rushed upstairs to pack a bag, refusing my help. She was in and out in about ten minutes."

"Did she say where she was going?" Christian asks.

"All that she said was that she needed to go to Portland and might be gone for a couple of days at the least." Sheila says. "She was in a hurry and I was in the middle of baking."

Christian runs his hands through his hair. "Did she see any of the children?"

"I'm not sure, Mr. Grey." Sheila says. "Both Master Carrick and Miss Christiana had laid down for naps just before she arrived home. I think the younger twins were playing outside with Mrs. Livingston. They are still out there."

Christian strides across the foyer, heading out to the patio. "Hi Daddy!" both Jason and Lucas call when they see their father. They run towards him and he kneels down to gather them into his arms. He kisses both of them before pulling back and looking at them.

"Did you see Mommy awhile ago?" he asks.

They both nod. "Mommy gone." Taylor says at the same time that Lucas says "Mommy left."

Christian's faces turns ashen. "Gone? Left? Did she say when she would be back?"

They both shake their head. "No, Daddy. She said she didn't know when she would be back, but you would be here to tuck us into bed."

Christian pulls both sons back into his arms. "Yes, I will." He says before kissing them both on their heads. "I've got to go now, though. I'll see you both tonight."

"Okay. Bye Daddy." The twins say together. They turn and run off to resume their playing.

"Mrs. Livingston. Did Mrs. Grey say anything to you when she was talking to the twins?" Christian asked the children's nanny.

"Just what the twins just told you. She was in a hurry. She was crying as she kissed them and said she had to leave and wasn't sure when she'd be back."

Christian heads back out to the SUV where Reynolds is waiting. "Sir, I just spoke to Taylor. He said that Ryan had called in to report that he was driving Mrs. Grey to Portland. He wasn't able to give any further details. All that he knew was that Mrs. Grey had pulled him away from the security office at GP to drive her home and then head to Portland."

"So he just blindly follows her fucking orders without enquiring just where the fuck in Portland? Or why?" Christian barks.

"From what Taylor said, Ryan reported that Mrs. Grey was sobbing and very incoherent. He promised Taylor that he would update when he could." Reynolds said.

"Well, let's drive to Portland." Christian says as he gets into the SUV. "At least we'll be able to track the SUV."

Once he is settled in the back of the SUV, he tries to compose himself. _"Ana can't be leaving me for that photographer boy! I know I've shaken her faith and trust in me, but last night was so wonderful. Did she not feel the connection like I did? But just hours later, one phone call from fucking Jose and she's run off to be with him? NO! I can't let her go. At least not without a fight." _ Christian says to himself.

Christian pulls out his phone. "Taylor! What the fuck is going on? Can Ryan not follow protocol? Was he not warned that Ana is NOT to be allowed to change protocol in ANY manner?"

"Sir. Ryan is following protocol. He reported in when they left GP to head to Grey Manor before heading to Portland. Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to get a precise destination from Mrs. Grey." Taylor reports to Christian. "And no, we haven't been able to get through to him via phone. He did report that Mrs. Grey had rushed out of her office and had left her purse and phone behind. She didn't want to take the time to return. She has been using Ryan's phone to make calls while enroute to Portland." Taylor clears his throat and hesitates before asking "Has she not called you, Mr. Grey?"

"Do you think I would be asking all these fucking questions is she had?" Christian barks into the phone before disconnecting. "Oh Fuck!" he says as he looks down at his phone. There are several calls from what he now realizes must be Ryan's number. He checks his voices messages and the blood drains from his face again.

"We need to get to Portland as quickly as possible." Christian barks to Reynolds.

Reynolds doesn't question the order. Once again he puts his foot on the accelerator and speeds on into traffic.


	69. Chapter 69

While Christian had been in the series of meetings, he had put his phone on mute, not expecting any calls from Ana. Since turning the phone back on, there had been no alerts with Ana's ring tone. After talking to Taylor, he rechecks his phone and discovers texts from an unfamiliar number:

**U R not answering phone. Enroute to Portland. Xoxox A**

**Don't have my phone. Using R's. Xoxox A**

Christian realizes that most of the calls he had sent to voice mail were from the same number Ana used to send the texts. He checks his voice mail.

"_Christian. Jose just called. Dad was visiting him in Portland and collapsed. Waiting for ambulance to arrive."_

"_Christian. Please call me on Ryan's phone. I left mine at the office."_

"_Christian. Where are you? Please call me on Ryan's phone. I need to hear your voice."_

"_Christian. Please call. I need you." _

"_Christian. Dad taken to OSHU in Portland. Still no report from Jose. Please please call me."_

Tears form in Christian's eyes as he hears Ana's tearful voice. Each message was more tearful than the previous one. "Reynolds. Change of plans. Head back to the helipad at Grey Manor. We're using Charlie Tango." Christian calls Taylor to inform him on the change of plans and instruct him to prepare a flight plan for Charlie Tango to land at OSHU.

Christian then punches in the number for Ryan's phone. He groans when he goes to voice mail. "_Ana, Baby. Finally got your messages. I'm sorry about Ray. Am heading home to use Charlie Tango to get to hospital as quickly as possible. Call if you get this message before I'm in the air. Otherwise, I'll see you at the hospital. Hang in there Anastasia. I love you Baby."_

When they return to Grey Manor, Reynolds heads straight to the helipad without stopping at the main house. Taylor is waiting at Charlie Tango. "It's good to go, Boss. The flight plan was just confirmed. OSHU isn't happy, but I took the liberty of offering a generous donation and they relented and are allowing you to use the roof helipad. But they will only allow you to land. The helicopter can't stay there indefinitely in case the pad is needed for an air ambulance landing. I called Owens in to pilot and relocate the helicopter once you and Reynolds have landed." Taylor informs Christian.

"Thanks Jason." Christian says. "Any word from Ryan?"

"No. His phone still goes to voice mail. The tracking of the SUV indicates that they are on the outskirts of Portland." Taylor says.

"If either Ryan or Ana call, let them know that I'm enroute and Ana is not to leave the hospital. I left a message on the voice mail, but I guess it hasn't been retrieved yet. I haven't let anyone at the house know. Could you please ensure that the appropriate people are informed? Depending on Ray's condition, I may need to stay to support Ana." Jason nods his understanding. Christian and Reynolds get in Charlie Tango and Owens takes off after finishing the necessary checks.

When Charlie Tango lands on the roof of OHSU, Christian and Reynolds disembark and Owens flies away. The two men head to the elevator and go to the Information Desk in the lobby. The female attendant on the desk looks up and she starts to preen when Christian flashes his mega-watt smile. "May I help you, Sir?" she asks.

"Yes. I believe my father-in-law, Raymond Steele, was brought by ambulance to this hospital earlier today. I'm supposed to meet my wife here, but I don't know the room number." Christian says.

"Oh yes. Your wife." The receptionist says trying to hide her disappointment. "Let's see. Raymond Steele. I'm sorry, I don't see anyone by that name listed." She looks at Christian. "You said that he was brought in my ambulance. Maybe he is still in ER and hasn't been officially admitted yet."

"You mean to tell me that you can't see from here if someone is in the ER or OR?" Christian demands in his best CEO voice.

"No, I'm sorry Sir." The receptionist answers. "I only have access to patients who have been admitted to rooms."

"Fine. We'll head to ER then." Christian says, trying to reign in his frustration. His prime focus is getting to his beloved Ana as quickly as possible.

When Christian walks up to the reception desk in the ER, he gets the same reaction from the female receptionist. It is all he can do to not roll his eyes. _"It's just a fucking face people."_ He thinks to himself.

"I'm trying to track down my father-in-law, Raymond Steele. I got a message an hour or so ago that he was being brought here by ambulance. I assumed he would be in a room by now, so I went to the Information Desk in the lobby, but they show no record of him having been admitted." Christian says.

The receptionist checks her computer. "Oh yes. Raymond Steele was brought here. He was taken to the OR. I don't have any further status."

"I was to meet my wife at the hospital. I don't see her here. Where would family members wait?" Christian asks.

"There is a waiting room on the fifth floor near where the OR is located. It is across from the elevator on that floor." The receptionist says with a smile.

Christian and Reynolds walk to the elevators to go to the fifth floor. Christian smile when the elevator doors open on the fifth floor. Although he has not yet seen her, he can hear Ana.

"It's been two fucking hours and no one has had the fucking courtesy of updating me on the status of my father." Ana is shouting in a trembling voice. "I am Anastasia Grey of Grey Publishing in Seattle and I demand to get a fucking status report in the next five minutes or I will be contacting the Director of this hospital to register a complaint."

"There is no need for such drastic actions or language, Mrs. Grey." The nurse answers. "I will see if there is an update available."

Christian walks up behind Ana. "Mrs. Grey you are _so hot_ when you go all CEO on people." Christian says with a smirk.

Ana spins around "CHRISTIAN!" she shouts. She runs into his arms and wraps her arms around his waist. Instead of kissing him, she leans her head against his chest and bursts into tears.

"Shh, Baby." Christian croons as he rubs her back. "What happened?"

Ana hiccups as she lists her head off Christian's chest and wipes at her tears. She smiles slightly as she accepts a handkerchief from Christian. "I got a call from Jose. Ray was in Portland visiting Jose and his family when he collapsed and was unconscious. After calling 911, Jose called me. As I was waiting for Ryan to get the car, I called you, but your phone went to voice mail. I rushed out of the office without realizing that I had left my purse and phone behind until we were almost home. I didn't want to waste time returning to the office, so I quickly stuffed some clothes into an overnight bag, spoke to the kids and got back in the car for Ryan to drive to Portland. We didn't know which hospital until we were almost in Portland." Ana looks up at Christian, her big blue eyes still glistening with tears. "I spent most of the trip on Ryan's phone. Either in contact with Jose for updates, or trying to call you." She bites her lip to keep it from quivering. "But…but…it kept going to voice mail. I sent you texts, but you didn't answer."

Christian wipes at the tears on Ana's face and lifts her face to gently brush his lips against hers. "I realized that when I tried to track you down at the house. I had had the phone on silent mode while in meetings and after I turned it back on, I was letting everything go to voice mail if I didn't recognize the ring. Stupid me eventually realized all the calls from an unknown number was Ryan's new phone."

"Well you're here now." Ana says as she clings to Christian. "When I got here, Jose was waiting for me in the ER. They had already taken Dad to surgery and Jose brought me up here to wait." Ana starts sobbing again. "But no one has come to give us an update."

Jose steps off the elevator with two cups in his hands and a loose tea bag balanced on the top of one. "Oh good, Christian, you got here." He says when he spots Ana in Christian's arms. "Ana was getting anxious that you hadn't returned any of her calls or texts."

"Unfortunately, it was an oversight on my part because I didn't recognize the number of the phone she was using." Christian responded. "Thank you Jose for dealing with the situation up until now." Christian takes the cup of hot water and tea bag from Jose, removes the lid and dunks the tea bag in briefly before removing it and handing Ana the cup after he had replaced the lid. "Here Anastasia."

Ana rolls her eyes, but doesn't say anything about Christian's domineering way. Christian keeps a hand on Ana's back and turns them towards the nurse Ana had been yelling at earlier. "Mrs. Grey. Your father's surgery is over and he is in the recovery room. In a while he will be taken to a room in the Cardiac Unit and you should be able to see him then. If you take a seat, you will be notified when he has been moved."

"Thank you. I trust he will be assigned a private room." At the questioning look of the nurse Ana continues. "Cost is no object. He is my father and I want the best care for him."

Ana continues to cling to Christian as they follow Jose into the waiting room. When Christian sits down, he pulls Ana onto his lap and she snuggles into his chest. Christian takes her tea cup from her and sets it on the table beside his chair. Once both hands are free, Ana circles her arms around Christian's neck and turns to gaze into his eyes. She can see how upset he is. She briefly kisses his mouth before snuggling back into his chest.

"I'm sorry you weren't able to reach me." Christian says. "Why didn't you phone Andrea? She knows that if something's wrong with you or the children I am to be notified immediately, regardless of what type of meeting I'm in."

"I tried." Ana said, biting her lip to keep the tears from flowing again. "But it wasn't Andrea that answered the phone. I can't remember what she said was her name, but she said she was filling in while Andrea was at the dentist."

"FUCK!" Christian says. "I had forgotten that she had told me about her appointment. She was back at her desk when my meetings were finished. That fucking temp probably didn't even record or inform Andrea of your call."

"Well, you're here now, Christian. That is the important thing." Ana says as she runs her fingers through his copper locks.

Christian kisses lightly on her lips. "Yes I am. After chasing you through two states."

"WHAT?" Ana exclaims.

Christian looks sheepishly, first at Jose and then at Ana. "I thought I would surprise you and take you out for lunch, so I showed up at your office without having phoned. But I was the one to be surprised when Ms Fitzgerald informed me that you had rushed out shortly after receiving a phone call. From Jose. She claimed that all that you had said was that you had to go to Portland and didn't know when you would be back." Christian glances at Jose before turning back to Ana and held her gaze. "You can image what I was thinking."

"WHAT?" Jose exclaims.

Ana sits upright in Christian's lap and gazes into Christian's eyes. "Oh Fifty." She sighs.

You've got to be kidding, Christian." Jose says. "I thought we had resolved that years ago. Since that night you showed up at that bar when Ana was drunk, it was obvious that you were both in love with one another. I couldn't understand that overwhelming attraction until I met Maria a couple of years later." Jose holds Christian glare. "I'm still very fond of Ana, but only as a very dear friend. The same as I feel for Kate."

"Yeah, well." Christian huffs. "When I discovered that you had left not only your purse, but your phone, behind in your office I lost it. You had obviously left the phone behind so that you couldn't be tracked."

Ana tries to muffle a giggle and gets a glare from Christian for her effort. "But the SUV, as well as Ryan's phone, could be tracked. So I obviously wasn't going off the grid."

"Only until you would have managed to get rid of Ryan and the vehicle once you got to Portland." Christian argues.

Ana sighs and runs her hand over Christian's cheek. "Did you not call Ryan?" she asks.

"Of course!" Christian exclaims. "But it always went to voice mail." He said in a clipped voice. "The tracking reported that you had left Grey Manor and was heading towards Portland."

Ana wraps her arms around Christian. "I guess I was on the phone most of the time. Either getting updates from Jose or trying to call you."

"Well, the situation wasn't helped at the house. I was told that you had rushed in and quickly grabbed an overnight bag and had said goodbye to Jason and Lucas." Christian tells her. His grey eyes gaze sorrowfully into her worried blue eyes. "Both boys said 'Mommy left' and 'Mommy gone'. My fear that you had left for good was only reinforced when they both said that you had assured them that I would be there to tuck them into bed. It sounded as if you would never be there again to do that."

Ana looks at Christian in amazement. "But I left you messages and texts. Didn't you get them?" she asks.

Christian looks sheepish. "I hadn't recognized the ring tone or number from Ryan's new phone and had been sending the messages to voice mail and not looking at the phone for the texts. It wasn't until Taylor questioned about messages that I took the time to look closer at the messages." Christian reaches out to tuck a lock of Ana's hair behind her ear. "As soon as I read the texts and heard the voice mails, I had Reynolds turn the SUV around and we used Charlie Tango to get here as quickly as possible."

"Oh, Christian." Ana says as she leans in to kiss him tenderly on the lips. "I'm glad you finally made it here. I'm sorry you went through so much anguish."

Christian closes his eyes briefly before opening and staring into Ana's big blue eyes. "Anastasia, it is nothing to what you've been going through. I'm sorry I wasn't able to take your initial phone call. I would have left everything to be with you for support." Christian breaks the locked gaze and turns to look at Jose who is sitting uncomfortable on the other side of the room. "Jose, thank you for being there. First for Ray and then for Ana."

"You're welcome, Christian." Jose responds. "I'd do anything for Ray and Ana, as well as you." Jose smiles wryly at Christian. "I do owe you my career. When you bought all seven portraits of Ana at my first showing, it put a spotlight on me and got my photography career up and running." Jose laughs as he adds. "And of course being the Official Photographer for the Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele Wedding just a couple of months later really put me in the limelight. And then with the annual family portraits and the baby pictures every couple of years, I should have my children's college tuitions paid for already."

"Excuse me." A voice says from the doorway. All three look up and see a male in hospital garb standing at the doorway. "Are you the family of Raymond Steele?" he asks.


	70. Chapter 70

"Excuse me." A voice says from the doorway. All three look up and see a male in hospital garb standing at the doorway. "Are you the family of Raymond Steele?" he asks.

Christian stands, setting Ana on her feet, but keeping a firm arm around her waist for support. "Yes." Ana manages to squeak out. "I'm Ray's daughter, Ana Grey."

"Hello, Mrs. Grey." The man says. "I'm Dr. Gonzalez. I'm the heart surgeon who operated on your father." Seeing the look of fear on Ana's face, his composure softens. "He suffered a heart attack, but he's doing fine now. We did by-pass surgery and he is in the Recovery Room, but should be transferred to his room within the next thirty minutes. If you wish, you could go there now and be there for when he is taken to his room."

"Thank you, Dr. Gonzalez." Ana says with a bright smile. "I do wish."

"Fine." Dr. Gonzalez says. "I'll leave word at the nurses' station for you to be escorted there." He turns and leaves.

They gather up their belongings and head to the nurses' station where they are greeted by a nurse. "Hello, I'm Gloria Timmerman. Are you Mr. Steele's family?" Ana rolls her eyes when she sees the nurse's reaction when Christian comes into sight.

"Yes. I'm Mrs. Grey, Ray Steele's daughter. Dr. Gonzalez said that he would arrange for someone to escort us to my father's room to wait for him to arrive from the recovery room." Ana firmly says to the nurse as she holds onto Christian with her right hand and makes a point of rubbing her stomach with her left hand to draw attention to her wedding ring and baby bump. Ana does her best to ignore Christian's smirk as he is well aware of her actions. Ana glares at Jose as he starts coughing to cover his laugh.

"Yes, please follow me." The nurse says and leads them to the other end of the floor to a private room. "Here we go." She says as she opens the door and ushers them into the room. "Mr. Steele should be brought in here shortly. He will still be a bit groggy, but should be aware of his surroundings." With a last lingering look at Christian, the nurse turns and leaves the room, ignoring Ana's glare.

As soon as the door is closed, Jose bursts out laughing. "Ana! I've never seen you in a pissing contest marking your territory before." He holds his hands up in surrender when Ana turns her glare on him.

"Whoa, Baby." Christian says with a smirk. When Ana turns her glare to him, he pulls her into his arms and captures her mouth in a searing kiss. Ana's lips part in a gasp and Christian thrusts his tongue between them to explore her mouth. Ana's arms reach up around the back of Christian's head to keep his mouth against hers.

They are both breathless when they eventually pull apart. They lean into each other, resting their foreheads against one another. "Now who's marking their territory?" Ana whispers with a smile.

"You two are priceless." Jose says. "Even after ten years and the seventh child on the way, you two are still so into each other. And yet, very possessive and both have the need to stake your claim." Jose shakes his head as he laughs. "It may have taken me a while to realize and accept it, but Christian, you staked your claim the night Ana drunk dialed you. You arrived like a white knight, held Ana as she threw up on the flowers in the parking lot and then rode off with her in your SUV. Of course that was a few days after the photo shoot for Kate's article when you couldn't take your eyes off of Ana. It's a wonder you didn't just club her over the head and drag her off to your cave that day."

"Trust me, I wanted to." Christian says with a smirk. "But I was trying to resist the attraction because I knew Ana was too good for me."

"You didn't resist very long." Jose says with a smirk. "And of course, there was the night of my first photo show. I learned later that you never questioned the cost of the portraits of Ana. As soon as you saw them, you rushed to the office and bought them."

"And Ana, you were so excited the day of the photo shoot and I'd never seen you order Kate around like you did that day to rearrange our transportation so that you were free to go for coffee with Christian. And you don't even drink coffee!" Jose says. "But the clincher for me was the night Christian finally got home after the Charlie Tango crash. Ana, you were beside yourself all evening when no one had any idea what had happened to Christian. You were like a zombie. But when Christian walked into his penthouse, the two of you only had eyes for one another. Neither one of you were aware of any other people in the room. It was obvious to everyone in the room that you two were soul mates." Jose flashes a big smile. "It took me a while, but I finally found my soul mate in Maria."

Ana walks over and hugs Jose. "And I'm so glad you did." She turns and smiles lovingly at Christian. "Everyone should be as lucky as we are to find their soul mate."

The door to the room opens and an orderly is pushing a hospital bed into the room. Ana gasps when she sees her father lying on the bed, hooked up to various machines which another orderly is pushing in pace with the bed, followed by a nurse. Christian quickly goes to Ana's side and squeezes her hand.

Once the orderlies have the bed and machinery positioned and the nurse ensures everything is working fine, Ana rushes to the bedside. "Dad! You gave us all a scare."

"Hi Annie!" Ray manages to whisper. "Sorry."

"Don't be sorry, Dad." Ana tells her father. "I'm just glad that you were with someone at the time you collapsed and Jose was able to get medical attention for you immediately. I hate to think what would have happened if you'd been home alone in Montesano."

The nurse returns to the room to check Ray's charts and equipment. As she is doing her checks, she keeps sneaking peeks at Christian out of the corner of her eye. Ana glares at her, but the nurse ignores the glares. When Ana is about to finally speak, Christian rests a hand on her shoulder to stop her before standing behind her and kissing her neck just the ear. He whispers. "Stay calm, Ana. Just remember, it's just a face."

Christian continues to stand behind Ana massaging her shoulders until he feels her become less tense. He remains behind Ana and wraps his arms around her waist, rubbing his hands over her stomach. As he does this, he says to the nurse "Is everything okay with Mr. Steele? You seem to be spending a lot of time checking all the tubes and equipment."

The nurse gets flustered and says "Yes. Everything seems to be okay. A doctor should be in sometime later this afternoon to see how he is progressing." Her lips thin as her eyes watch Christian caressing Ana's baby bump.

"That's good. My wife and I would like to speak to the doctor to see when it would be safe for Mr. Steele to be transferred to a hospital in Seattle as that is where we live." Christian informs the nurse. Christian is rewarded by a beaming smile from Ana.

"Just call if Mr. Steele needs anything." The nurse says and she turns and leaves.

Ana turns around in Christian's arms. "Thank you Christian." She says before reaching up to give him a brief kiss.

"If it's okay with everyone, I think I'll take my leave now." Jose says. He walks over to the side of the bed. "Ray. I'm glad you're okay. I'm sure Christian and Ana will have the best doctors and nurses possible looking after you."

Ana hugs and kisses Jose. "Thank you again Jose for being there for Dad. And for letting me know immediately."

"Yes, Jose." Christian extends his hand to shake Jose's. "Thank you for ensuring Ray got immediate medical attention. And for contacting Ana. Do you need Reynolds to drive you home?"

"I was going to take a cab as I had come to the hospital in the ambulance with Ray." Jose says. "So if it wouldn't be too much problem, that would be great."

Christian goes out into the hallway where Reynolds is waiting and brings him into the room. "Everything is arranged. Ana and I will stay here with Ray for awhile, so Reynolds is available to drive you where you need to go, Jose."

After final farewells, Jose and Reynolds leave. Christian has positioned a chair beside Ray's bed for Ana to sit in. Ray has fallen asleep, but Ana continues to sit, holding his hand. Christian positions himself in a chair in the corner of the room and pulls out his phone to get caught up on business.

One of his many calls is to the Heathman Hotel to book their favorite suite. "_It probably isn't the appropriate time to start wooing Ana, with her father in the hospital, but I need to start sometime and what better place than the Heathman?" _Christian says to himself.

Christian also phones home and talks to Mrs. Livingston and asks her to look after all of the children and to notify Sheila and Margaret that he and Ana won't be home this evening. Another call is to Grace to inform her about Ray and ask that she notify the rest of the family. Christian smiles as his mother's first thought was for Ana and how much anxiety she has had to endure the past few days. _"You don't know the half of it."_ Christian thinks to himself. He briefly closes his eyes in relief that his mother is not aware of the New York City situation, at least not that he is aware of. _"Of course she doesn't. If she did, she would have torn a strip off of you."_

Just as he is finishing his priority phone calls, the door opens and Reynolds walks in carry a box filled with food containers. "It's not Gail's cooking, but I stopped at the Heathman as you requested Sir and they were able to provide the food you requested in take-out containers. They should still be hot."

"Thank you Reynolds." Christian says as he motions for Reynolds to set the box down on a nearby table. "I trust you got something for yourself, as well?"

"Yes. I ate it while they were packing up the containers." Reynolds assured his employer. Reynolds leaves the room to stand guard in the hallway.

"Come and eat, Ana." Christian says. "And don't bother rolling your eyes. I know you're likely too worried about your father to want to eat, but think of Lucky." Christian walks over to Ana and pulls her to her feet. "Please Ana." He pleads.

Ana turns and looks at Ray. He is sleeping comfortably. "Okay." Ana says softly and is rewarded with the infamous Christian Grey beaming smile. Christian and Ana sit at the table and start to eat. A short time later, Christian smiles again at the evidence of the empty containers indicating how much Ana consumed.

Christian stands and pulls out Ana's chair. He takes her by the hand and leads her back to Ray's bedside. He sits down in the chair and pulls Ana onto his lap. She snuggles against his chest. Christian inhales the scent of her hair and is content. "Anastasia, Ray appears to be recovering and I know you won't want to leave him alone for the night, but you need to think of yourself and Lucky. You need to get a good night's sleep – which you won't get sitting in this chair all night. I've booked our suite at the Heathman. We will stay here as late as possible, and then we'll go to the hotel to sleep in a decent bed before returning here in the morning."

"Our suite?" Ana asks excitedly. "How much sleep do you think we'll actually get?" Ana asks.

Christian laughs. "You got a lot of sleep the first time we shared the suite." He says with a smirk. "And I spent most of the night just sitting watching you."

Ana swats at Christian's arms. "I was passed out drunk, not sleeping!" Ana says with a giggle. Ana runs her tongue across Christian's lips and when his lips part, plunges her tongue into his mouth to explore. Ana's hands entwine themselves in Christian's hair to keep his mouth over hers. Christian's hands move down Ana's back to cup her ass.

"Good God! Do you two never stop?" Ray questions in a strangled voice.

"DADDY!" Ana exclaims as she jumps out of Christian's arms and rushes to her father's side. "You're awake!"

Christian is chuckling, despite having to shift in the chair to adjust himself in attempt to hide his growing erection. "How long have you been awake, Ray?"

"Just now, but thought I'd better speak up before it was too late." Ray manages to smirk.

"Hush, Dad." Ana says. "Don't overexert yourself."

"Ray, if it is okay with you, we would like to arrange for you to be transported to a Seattle hospital so that you'll be closer to us during your recovery." Christian says.

"Yes, it's okay." Ray says. "Would be easier for Annie, wouldn't it?"

"Don't worry about me, Dad. I'll be wherever you want to be. Christian has booked a suite at the Heathman, so I can set up there. I'm able to do much of my work remotely anywhere." Ana assures her father.

"I do worry about you, Annie." Ray says. He turns his attention to Christian. "You found a good man in Christian, but a father will always continue to worry about his little girl, regardless of how big or old she gets."

"Damn right." Christian agrees. "And now that I have two daughters, I don't know why you didn't kill me when we first met. You didn't even threaten me." Christian holds Ray's gaze. "Rest assured, Ray, that I will take care of your little girl for the rest of my life."

Ray continues to hold their gaze. "I know you will, Christian. I've known that from the minute we met at Annie's graduation. You couldn't take your eyes off of her and she you. And I'd never seen her react to a boy or man the way she was behaving that day. I knew as soon as I saw the two of you together that she had found her soul mate." Ray looks briefly at Ana before turning his gaze back to Christian. "But if I ever find out that you hurt my little girl, in any manner, you'll have me to deal with."

Christian continues to hold the gaze of his father-in-law. "Understood, Ray. And I wouldn't want it any other way. I'm sure I'll feel the way with Phoebe and Christiana come the time they start having relationships. And any other daughters we may have." He says firmly. Christian purposely avoids looking in Ana's direction and misses Ana's look of concern. Fortunately, Ray misses Ana's look as well.


	71. Chapter 71

Later in the day, Ray and Christian manage to convince Ana that she needs to look after herself and baby by leaving with Christian to spend the night at the Heathman Hotel rather than camp out at Ray's bedside in the hospital.

Christian and Ana are relaxing, cuddled together on a sofa, in their suite when there is a knock on the door and a voice announcing "Room Service." Christian gives Ana a brief kiss before standing up and striding to the door and checking the security peephole. He opens the door and a waiter wheels in a dining cart holding numerous covered dishes.

"That will be all. We'll leave the cart in the hallway when we are done." Christian tells the waiter and slips him a $50 bill as tip. Christian transfers the dishes to the suite's dining table and lifts the lids.

"Hmmm, everything smells delicious." Ana says as she walks over to the table. Christian pulls a chair out for Ana and pushes it back in when she sits down. Ana laughs when she sees the various dishes. Christian's room service order is a recreation of the meal he had ordered on their first date when he planned on seducing Ana in the private dining room in the Heathman Hotel once she agreed to be his Submissive. With a twinkle in her eyes, she looks up at Christian through her lashes. "Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Grey?" she asks in a soft submissive voice and bites her lip.

Christian groans and raises his thumb to pull Ana's lip away from her teeth. "Always, Anastasia." He whispers huskily as his eyes glaze over. He leans down to kiss Ana's open mouth, and is greeted by Ana's tongue hungrily seeking entrance to his mouth. His hand starts to caress her breast and he smiles when he feels the nipple harden almost instantly. His fingers start to undo the buttons on her blouse when he hears a stomach growl. Their mouths break apart and both are panting for breath. "Was that you or me?" Christian asks with a laugh.

Ana giggles. "I do believe it was Lucky." She grins and looks impishly at Christian. "Do you think he is trying to serve as a chaperone?"

Christian rubs her stomach and growls. "Better not be. I guess I'll just have to have a talk with him." He laughs when a growl can be heard. "But after dinner. Obviously, I need to get you feed first." Christian takes his seat and starts eating the oysters. He sees Ana licking her lips before pouting. "No, Ana. Best to not eat the oysters while pregnant."

"I know. But they taste so good." Ana says, still pouting. "And feel so good sliding down my throat." She adds with a grin.

Christian's eyes glaze over again and looks at Ana hungrily. "I'll see what I can do about a substitute." He says salaciously.

"I'm counting on it." Ana says as she swirls an asparagus spear in the melted butter and puts it into her mouth to suck off the butter. She grins when she hears Christian intake of breath and groan. She looks at him and smirks when she realizes he is shifting in his chair. "Something wrong, Christian?" she asks sweetly as she bites the head off the asparagus spear.

"No!" he says forcefully. "But eat up. I'm looking forward to dessert." He says slyly.

"Oh?" Ana asks as she continues sucking and biting at her asparagus spears. "And what did you order for dessert?"

"Vanilla ice cream." Christian says with a beaming smile. He continues to shift in the chair as he watches Ana continue to eat her butter dipped asparagus spears.

"Yum. My favorite." Ana says huskily. "Won't the ice cream be melting?"

"Yes, but it needs to be soft for what I have in mind." Christian purrs and smirks at Ana's intake of breath.

Ana quickly takes several bites of her fish and potatoes before pushing the plate away. "I can't eat any more." She looks at Christian through her lashes. "I need to leave room for dessert."

Christian places his napkin on his empty plate and stands up. He pulls a remote control out of his pocket and music fills the room. "Dance with me, Anastasia." He says as he pulls out her chair and takes her hand.

Ana smiles as she recognizes Frank Sinatra singing "_Bewitched." _ Christian pulls her into his arms and starts gliding her around the room, singing along with Sinatra. The song ends, but Christian only pauses briefly before the next song starts "_Dark Side"_ by Kelly Clarkson and Christian continues singing softly in Ana's ear.

When the song finishes, Ana stops dancing and moves her arms to cup Christian's face to gaze into his grey eyes. "Yes, Christian, I still love you and will not run away." Her fingers reach up to wipe at the tears starting to escape from Christian's eyes.

"Anastasia, you are the best thing that ever happened to me. Although it took me awhile to admit it to myself, I fell in love with you the second you fell into my office." Christian says huskily. "I know I originally tried to persuade you to be my Submissive, but when you left me after the belt incident I accepted the fact that I had to change for you. I needed _you_, not a submissive. And I've never regretted my decision to clear the playroom of whips and canes." Christian hugs Ana to his chest and runs his hands through her hair. "I enjoy that you love our kinky fuckery and rest assured that is enough for me. You and the children have brought so much joy and excitement into my life, I don't have the need whip little brown haired girls to feel fulfilled."

Ana's voice is muffled as she talks into Christian's chest. "You say that now. But how can you be sure that one day you won't feel so stressed out that the only way for you to regain control in your life is to find a little brown haired girl to whip into submission?"

"If you're not that little brown haired girl, it wouldn't matter. _You_ are the only one I want in my sexual life." He runs his hands through Ana's hair, before pulling her head back so he can look into her eyes. "And I plan on demonstrating that to you for the rest of our lives." He vows.

Looking at Christian, Ana can see the love for her shining in his grey eyes. "And how to you plan on doing that, Sir?" she whispers. She giggles when Christian's only response is to growl and take her by the hand, walking towards the bedroom of the suite. As they pass the dining cart, he grabs the container of ice cream and a spoon.

"Ice cream _a la_ Ana to start." Christian says.

The next morning, Christian and Ana walk into Ray's hospital room hand in hand, both trying their best to suppress yawns. Neither one had much sleep the next before as they couldn't get enough of one another.

"Good morning." Ray says. "You both seem very happy." He raises an eyebrow at Ana's blush and then frowns when realization kicks in. "Oh."

Christian looks lovingly at Ana before turning to address his father-in-law. "I can't help it, Ray. Even ten years later, I can't stop loving Anastasia."

Ana, still blushing, steps away from Christian and goes to her father's bedside. "Dad. We've arranged with the hospitals here and Seattle for you to be transported to Seattle as soon as they deem you safe enough to travel. But that probably won't be until Monday."

"Annie, don't feel that you need to stay here in Portland until then. You've had a very stressful week with the twins' accident and then the attack at the hospital. You need to go home and look after yourself, as well as Lucky." Ray looks at Christian. "Right Christian? Even if you have to handcuff her to the bed to insure she stays at home."

Christian laughs at his father-in-law's suggestion and smirks when he sees Ana's blush. "You think so, Ray?"

"Whatever it takes, Christian." Ray tells his son-in-law.

"Well, I do have some plans." Christian says. "It has been a very stressful week and we have been away from the children for most of this past week and I thought Ana and I would head back to Seattle later today and take the kids out for a cruise on the _Anastasia_ tomorrow. Maybe even stay out overnight."

"But I wouldn't feel right leaving Dad here alone in the hospital." Ana says, biting her lip as she battles internally, torn between responsibilities of a daughter versus that of a wife and mother.

Christian draws her into his arms and tugs her lip from her teeth. As he bends down to kiss her, he whispers "You know what that does to me. And I still haven't got the image of handcuffing you to our bed out of my mind." Ana wraps her arms around Christian's neck and turns the light kiss into a deep loving kiss.

They break apart when Ray's coughing finally penetrates their bubble. "Thought I'd better try to interrupt you two before things got out of hand." Ray tells them. "Ana, I'll be fine here. Go home to Seattle today and spend the weekend with your husband and children. Going out on your yacht sounds like a good idea. Probably about the only way you can get away from the press right now. I'll see you when I get transferred to Seattle."

Ana returns to her father's bedside. "Are you sure?" When he nods, she leans over and kisses his cheek. "I feel guilty leaving you here all alone. But I will make it up to you next week when you're in Seattle."

"Go Annie. Enjoy your husband and children." Ray tells her.

"I'll make sure she does, Ray." Christian says as he steps forward to shake Ray's hand. "We'll see you in Seattle on Monday." Christian puts his arm around Ana's waist and leads her out of the room.

Once out in the hallway, Ana turns in Christian's arms, sobbing into his chest. Christian runs his hands over Ana's back, trying to soothe her as they stand in the hallway. "I'm sorry, Christian. I guess its pregnancy hormones. I feel guilty leaving my father all alone."

"I know, Ana." Christian tells her. "But remember, he lives alone by his choice. At least here, there are other people around." Christian caresses her cheek. "We'll make sure the Nurses' Station has a contact number for us." Christian pulls a handkerchief out of his pocket and wipes at Ana's tears.

They stop at the Nurses' Station to leave a contact number. The young nurse gasps before smiling and says "You're giving me your phone number?"

Christian rolls his eyes before he answers "Not our personal cell numbers. It is the number of my Security Office. They will be able to reach Mrs. Grey or myself immediately, any time day or night." Ana rolls her eyes at the crestfallen look on the nurse's face. Christian turns to Ana and raises her hands to his lips. "You Dad will be in good hands. It's time to go home to our children, Baby." Christian says loud enough for the nurse to hear.

With a gleam in her eye, Ana grabs hold of Christian's tie and pulls him closer to her. "Anything you say, Sir." She purrs. She turns to the nurse. "Please look after my father." The nurse nods her agreement and Christian puts his arm around Ana to lead her to the elevators. They are followed by Reynolds as they head to the front door of the hospital where Ryan is waiting in the SUV.

Ana and Christian climb into the rear seats. Ana positions herself in the middle seat so that she can cuddle up to Christian during the drive back to Seattle. Christian puts his arm around her to keep her at his side. She is soon asleep, with her hair falling over his chest. _"Anastasia is such a loving, caring woman. I don't deserve her and, even after all these years, can't understand how or why she loves me. But she obviously does, despite my actions that have shattered her trust in me." _Christian leans down to inhale the scent of her hair before gently kissing the top of her head. "My darling Ana, I vow to get that trust back, if it's the last thing I do." He whispers to her.

As if she has heard him, Ana shifts, snuggling closer to Christian and murmurs "Love Christian." in her sleep. She shifts again and her hand moves to settle over his suddenly hardening cock. Christian looks down at Ana to see whether she is still sleeping or not. He is sure he heard her murmur "Mine." when she had moved her hand. _"Maybe there is hope for us."_ Christian says to himself.

The next morning, the children have risen early because of the promise of a family outing aboard _Anastasia_. Their excitement rose when their father told them to pack an overnight bag. In an attempt to try to have as normal a family outing as possible, no security will be aboard the _Anastasia_, but will follow in a motor boat. When the family heads to the boathouse to board the yacht, Christian pushes Carrick in his wheelchair and then picks him up to carry him aboard. Ana holds Lucas's hand while they walk to the boat, while Andrew takes Jason's hand. Once everyone is on board, settled and secure in life jackets, Christian starts to assist Mac in getting the vessel underway. Christian is pleased when Andrew asks if he could learn.

A few hours later, Ana goes down to the galley to start preparing lunch. She smiles when she opens the refrigerator to discover that Gail had ensured that it was well stocked. _"Christian was certainly busy yesterday while he was on the phone."_ she says to himself. She enjoys herself preparing the meals. It is rare that she gets to do it alone as Gail or Sheila are usually in the kitchen. When she has everything ready, she calls up to ask Andrew, Teddy and Phoebe to come and help her carry things upstairs to the deck.

"Are we having a picnic?" Christiana asks when she sees the bowls of salads, cold cuts and fried chicken.

"Yes, we are." Ana says. "Do you want to help me spread out this blanket on the deck so we can have a real picnic?"

"Well, I'll try Mommy. But I only have one arm, remember?" Christiana says in disgust that her mother cannot see that one arm is in a cast.

"I know Princess." Ana says. "But you can take one end and then sit down with it to keep it from blowing around. The food can also help anchor the blanket down."

Christian prepares two plates and takes them to join Carrick who is sitting in a bench by a table, with his leg propped up on the bench. Christiana flashes a big smile to Andrew when he helps her put food onto her plate. Ana sits down on the blanket and prepares plates for the youngest twins before filling a plate for herself. Teddy and Phoebe fill their plates and join the others on the blanket. Mac left the helm for a few minutes to fill up a plate and take it back.

After taking a few bites, Ana looks around and smiles as she sees her family laughing and smiling as they enjoy their picnic lunch. She looks out over the water and smiles as the only other boat she sees is the motorboat with their security. No sign of any paparazzi for the first time in several days. As she looks around, she catches Christian's eyes on her. As their eyes lock, Christian's eyes darken and he flashes his panty-melting smile. Ana catches her breath when he mouths "I love you." When she regains her breath, she mouths "I love you too." back at him.

"Are you okay, Ana?" Andrew asks, concerned with her intake of breath.

"It's okay Andrew. It's just Mom and Dad making goo goo eyes at each other." Phoebe says in disgust. "You'll get used to it - eventually." Christian chuckles as Ana blushes.

"Well, Miss Phoebe. I hope that someday you will find the love of your life like I did." Ana says.

"Yea, yea, I know." Phoebe says. "The day you fell into Dad's office when you went to interview him when Aunt Kate was sick." Phoebe looks at her mother. "I don't know if I'll ever marry. At least not right after college like you did. I want to do lots of things first."

"Amen to that." Christian says.

Ana giggles. "Oh, Phoebe. You never know when love is going to hit you. Not only did your father and I fall in love that day I fell into his office, but Aunt Kate and Uncle Elliott fell in love when they met at the bar the night your father came riding in on his white horse to rescue me when I drunk dialed him."

"Daddy had a white horse?" Jason asks. "Where is it now?"

"No." Teddy explains to his brother. "It's a figure of speech, meaning that Dad was trying to be a gentleman and went to the bar to save Mom as she had been drinking too much."

After everyone finishes their lunch, Christian organizes the older children to clean up the debris from lunch and take down to the galley. Christian laughs out loud as he sees Ana trying to lift herself up off the deck. When she glares at him, he walks over to her and helps her up. "I'm sorry Ana. You just look so funny trying to get up. I find it adorable that you're getting to the roly poly stage." Christian tells her as he runs his hand over Ana's baby bump.

Ana glares at him again. "You mean Shamu, don't you?" Ana questions. "I'm not that big…yet. I still have several more months to go."

Christian grins. "Yes, but it's all _mine!_" Ana rolls her eyes at his possessive tone. "My palm is getting twitchy, Mrs. Grey."

"Laters, Baby." Ana says with a responding grin. She wraps her arms around Christian's neck as they stand in the middle of the deck. "Thank you, Christian for this outing. This is just what this family needed after everything that's happened this past week. Out here, there is just our family with no external interference. I can almost convince myself that we are just a normal American family."

"I know, that's why I arranged this yesterday." Christian says. "I know you were upset leaving Ray alone in the hospital in Portland, but we needed this time with the children."

Ana looks at Christian. "You told the children to pack an overnight bag. Are we really staying on the boat overnight?" Ana asks.

Christian hesitates before responding. "Not exactly." At Ana's raised eyebrow, Christian continues. "We'll be staying on land. We've been heading there since we left the dock." When Ana is about to speak, Christian places a finger over her lips. "Patience, Mrs. Grey." He leans down to brush his lips against hers. "Delayed gratification."

Ana runs her hands down Christian's back to cup his ass. "But what about the children?" she says with a smirk.

"Not that gratification." Christian responds. "Come here, let's sit down and I'll give you a neck massage." Christian takes Ana by the hand and escorts her to a lounger. He sits down with his legs hanging over the sides and pulls Ana down to sit on the lounger between his legs. She wiggles to get comfortable. "Careful there, Anastasia." Christian huskily whispers in her ear before lightly nipping at her earlobe. "Wouldn't want to put on a show in front of the children."

"Hmmmm" Ana moans as Christian starts to massage her shoulders. "Oh that feels good." She gasps when she feels Christian's lips on her neck.

"Breath, Ana." Christian whispers as he continues his manipulations. After a while, Christian stops his massaging when he realizes that Ana has fallen asleep. He leans back on the lounger and pulls Ana back to lie on his chest.

A few minutes later, Christian sets Ana aside and stands up, ensuring that Ana is lying comfortably on the lounger. He walks over to his youngest sons who are playing together on the picnic blanket. "Jason and Lucas, it's time for your nap." He tells them.

"Okay Daddy." They both say as they stand up and take hold of their father's hands.

Before taking his sons downstairs to their cabin, Christian asks "Carrick and Christiana. Are you two okay for a few minutes while I get your brothers down for their nap?"

"I'm fine Dad." Carrick assures his father.

"I'll look after him, Dad." Christiana says.

"Great. I'll be back up in a few minutes. Maybe we'll do some fishing." Christian beams at his children when they squeal in delight. "I'll check with the others to see if they want to too."

An hour later Ana wakes up and smiles at the sight of Christian supervising their children fishing off the deck of the boat. She wishes that her phone was within reach to record the sight. She silently stands up and walks over to wrap her arms around Christian's waist from behind, leaning her body against her back.

"Mommy!" Christiana squeals. "Andrew caught some fish and so did Daddy. Can we eat them for dinner?"

"I'll cook them, but someone else will need to clean them. And I know your father's skills with a knife. NOT a pretty sight." Ana laughs.

"I can clean them, Ana." Andrew says. "I used to go fishing with my grandfather and he taught me how to clean the fish we caught."

Ana looks around and is happy that there is no other boat in sight except for their security. "Where are we heading, Christian?" she asks.

"Now that would be telling, wouldn't it?" Christian says as he keeps an eye on the fishing lines of the children. He sees a tug on Phoebe's line.

"DAD!" I think I've got a fish!" Phoebe says excitedly.

"Here, I'll help you reel it in" Christian says.

"No, Dad, but thanks. I can do it." Phoebe insists without turning to look at him as she keeps her eyes on the line. "Grandpa Ray has shown me." Several minutes later, both Phoebe and Christian are beaming when Phoebe is standing on the deck holding her fish in the air while Christian snaps a photo on his camera phone.

"Christian!" Ana shouts. "Look at that! Is that a beach?" she asks pointing off in the distance.


	72. Chapter 72

"Christian!" Ana shouts. "Look at that! Is that a beach?" she asks pointing off in the distance.

"Where?" Christian asks with a smile on his face.

"Off in the distance over there." Ana exclaims. She lifts her hand to her brow. "Is that a cottage?" she asks crestfallen. "Shoot. I was going to ask if we could anchor and go swimming and play on the beach. But I guess it's a private beach, belonging to that cottage." At Christian's smirk, Ana laughs. "Yes, I know you are Christian Grey, multi-billionaire CEO. And you _think_ you can do anything you want and everything has a price which you can well afford to pay. But that doesn't set a good example for the children."

"Let me check with Reynolds." Christian says with a sigh. "They can check to see if anyone is home. If no one's home, maybe we could use it. And if someone is home, maybe they would permit us to use their beach." Christian pulls his phone out of his pocket and presses a button to talk to Reynolds. As he talks, he walks to the other end of the deck.

A few minutes later Christian returns to Ana's side. "Reynolds is going to land and see if anyone is home and enquire if we could use the beach. He'll call back with the answer."

Ana watches as the motorboat speeds up and heads to the beach. Off to the side of the sandy beach area is a substantial sized dock. The boat docks and Ana can see Reynolds jump out and head up towards the cottage.

"Are we going to go swimming at that beach?" Teddy asks.

"I hope so, Teddy." Ana says. "The water might be too cold to actually go swimming, but if we're lucky, maybe we can play in the sand."

"Can we build sand castles?" Christiana asks gleefully. Her smile quickly turns to a frown as she looks down at the cast on her arm.

"Don't worry, Christiana." Phoebe assures her sister. "What you can't do one-handed, I'll help you."

Christian wraps his arms around Ana from the back and pulls her against his chest. He leans down to kiss her neck below her ear. He whispers "Relax, Ana. I'm sure the owners will give us permission to use the beach. If no one's home, we'll make use of the beach and beg forgiveness if caught." Christian steps back from Ana and pulls his phone out from his pocket. "Grey." "Great. See you in a few minutes." Christian goes to Mac to tell him to head to the dock on the nearby island. While the yacht is heading to the island, Christian and Ana wake up the youngest twins from their nap and take them back up to the deck.

A short-time later, the yacht has pulled up to the dock and are greeted by Reynolds and Ryan. Christian picks up Carrick in his arms to assist him off the yacht and onto the dock where Andrew has the wheelchair waiting. Reynolds and Ryan help Jason and Lucas off the boat while Christian turns to assist Ana onto the dock.

"What the ….!" Ana cuts off her exclamation. She turns to Christian with an accusing look in her eyes. "Why is the GP logo on this life preserver?" Ana questions, pointing to the ring hanging on a post at the end of the dock.

Christian looks at Reynolds and Ryan who both quickly turn away. "Busted." Christian says sheepishly as he looks at Ana.

"Busted?" Ana asks.

"Yes." Christian says. "Merry Christmas, Anastasia."

"Merry Christmas?" Ana asks with a confused look on her face. "It is only September."

"I know. But I thought with everything that has gone on this past week, you deserve to have it early. Everything isn't completely finished, but the cottage is useable." Christian says.

"You mean this is ours?" Ana says excitedly, spreading her arms.

"No. It is _yours_. The entire island." Christian exclaims. "Which is why you saw the GP logo rather than GEH on the life preserver."

Ana runs into Christian's open arms. "Thank you!" she says before raining kisses all over his face. "Thank you. Thank you." She pulls back and says "But what's mine is yours. It works both ways, Christian."

"I know." Christian says with a smirk. "But I know you still get overwhelmed sometimes with all the staff and security necessary when married to a billionaire CEO. I thought that if you felt you owned this on your own, you would feel more comfortable." Christian lightly brushes Ana's lips with his. "The cottage is large enough to accommodate our expanding family, but there is no staff quarters. Security have their own cottage, out of view from ours. There are security cameras, but Taylor has tried to have them as inconspicuous as possible and monitored from the security cottage."

"You mean I get to cook and clean for my family?" Ana says excitedly. "Without risking stepping on the toes of a housekeeper?"

"Yes." Christian says.

"Just like a regular family?" Ana asks.

"Yes." Christian manages to say before his mouth is captured by Ana's.

"Thank you." "Thank you." "Thank you." Ana says between kisses.

"You mean we're not a regular family?" Christiana asks in confusion.

"No, we're not." Carrick says. "We only have one Dad and one Mom. Remember, most of the kids at school have a more than one Dad and more than one Mom. And some only see their Dads once a month or so."

Ana hugs Carrick as best as she can while he is sitting in the wheelchair. "At one time a regular family was one Dad and one Mom, married to each other. Society has changed over the years, so I guess a family where the only Dad is married to the only Mom is not normal anymore. But that's not what I meant by a regular family. I meant one where the parents look after the house and children without having staff to do everything for them." She ruffles Carrick's copper hair. "Although I do get to do some of the cooking for our family, Gail does most of the cooking and cleaning, with some help from Sheila. Gail was your Dad's housekeeper long before I met your father and it wouldn't have been right to take away her job."

Christian wraps his arm around Ana and says "Your Mother keeps herself busy enough running Grey Publishing. We did try to raise you children without extra staff, but after four children in five years, I got your Mother to agree to hiring a nanny. But even then, we try to spend more time with you all than many parents do who have nannies."

Carrick looks at his parents and smiles. "I know. Many of my friends at school have a nanny or housekeeper and they see more of that person than their parents. It's always seemed strange to me." Carrick frowns. "They think it strange that Christiana and I each have our own Security person." Carrick shrugs. "But Lopez and Stone have always been with us when we are at school."

"Yes. Unfortunately, having personal security is necessary when you have me as a father." Christian says sadly. "Your Aunt Mia refused to have security and she was kidnapped by someone who was trying to get revenge from me." Christian looks sternly at Ana. "Your mother resented me insisting she have security, thinking I was trying to keep tabs on her. But after Mia was kidnapped, she realized the need to have security when your name is Grey." Christian smiles at Ana as he continues. "But here at the cottage, we can move about without having the eyes of security on us all the time."

"Christian, can I explore the cottage?" Ana asks.

"Yes, I'll give you a tour." Christian says as he wraps his arm around Ana's waist. "Just keep in mind that not everything is finished. So if there's anything you want to change, just let me know. You weren't supposed to see it until Christmas time, but I decided yesterday that we'd come here today. Taylor sent a team to do a security check and they brought groceries and other things organized by Gail."

"Mom! I thought we were going to play on the beach." Phoebe called out. "Can't we wait to see the cottage?"

"I can watch them, if you want Christian to give you a tour of the cottage." Andrew offers.

"Thank you Andrew." Christian says.

Christian takes Ana's hand and leads her from the beach area across a lawn to sliding patio doors. Christian opens the door and Ana steps in. "Oh My!" Ana explains as she looks around. They have stepped into a great room, with an elaborate kitchen in one corner with a large island/breakfast bar separating the food preparation area from the great room. The great room is two storeys with a cathedral ceiling. An interior wall isolates the bedrooms and bathrooms from the great room. A massive stone fireplace is located in the middle of the interior wall, soaring to the roof. Balconies on each side of the upper part of the fireplace wall reveal a loft. Several couches are positioned around the great room to form various conversation areas, with one in front of the fireplace. A media area is in another corner with multiple recliners positioned facing the large screen television mounted on the wall.

Christian is beaming at Ana's excitement. "Keep in mind, this was to be your Christmas gift, so not everything is in place. A lot of things were rushed the past couple of days, to get it functional for tonight. Gail phoned in a grocery order for the advanced security team to pick up and deliver here when they came to do a preliminary sweep and ensure everything was good to go."

"Security?" Ana asked, unable to hide her disappointment.

"Yes." Christian answered. "They did a sweep of the cottage, but will be staying in another building, out of sight of this building. They will monitor the area by video. But in here and the surrounding area outside, will just be our family."

"The family, alone? No security hovering in the background trying to be invisible?" Ana asks. At Christian's nod, she runs into Christian's arms. "Oh Christian, I love you. Thank you." She exclaims as she rains kisses over his face.

Christian hugs Ana close to his chest. "I love you, Anastasia." He whispers in her ear. "I will spend the rest of my life showing you that you are the only woman I want or need." Christian rains kisses from Ana's ear along her jaw line to her mouth before capturing her mouth with his. Several minutes later, Christian raises his head and tries to catch his breath. "You haven't seen everything yet. We got sidetracked."

Ana giggles. "We often get sidetracked. But yes, please show me the bedrooms."

Christian groans. "Behave Mrs. Grey, otherwise we'll get sidetracked and it's not fair to Andrew leaving in charge of our brood of children."

Ana steps away from Christian and raises her hands in defeat. "Okay, Mr. Grey. I promise to keep my hands to myself if you do the same."

"At least let me hold your hand." Christian says with a smile as he takes her hand and she does not resist. Christian shows her the children's rooms – there are only two, but each have several bunk beds and ensuites. "Room for their cousins to stay as well." There is also a guest suite. Christian leads Ana upstairs to the loft area. "This can be used as a play area for the children, as well as extra sleeping areas with the sofa beds."

"And where do we sleep?" Ana asks huskily.

"Ah...I was saving the best for last." Christian says with a twinkle in his eye. "Just in case we got sidetracked, I wanted to make sure you saw everything else." Christian leads Ana back down the stairs and opens the door to the master suite. Ana's eyes widen at the massive four poster bed in the room. "Now, you promised to behave, Ana." Christian smirks.

"I know." Ana says. "Just envisioning tonight."

Christian clears his throat. "I have been too." He purrs. "But let's finish the tour. Here's the master bath." He says as he opens the door for Ana to walk past him.

Ana turns around to look salaciously at Christian. "And now I'm envisioning tomorrow morning." she says as she stares at the oversized shower done in stone with a built in seat.

Christian chuckles. "I thought you would like the shower. And what do you think about the tub?"

Ana gasps. "I hadn't seen anything beyond the shower. The tub is fantastic. I can't wait to soak in it tonight. With you of course." She says as she runs a finger along the opening of Christian's shirt. "But right now, I need to check out the kitchen and decide what to cook for dinner."

"So, you like the cottage?" Christian asks hesitantly.

"No. I LOVE it!" Ana exclaims. "I LOVE you!" Ana laughs. "But I'd hardly call this a cottage. Granted it is smaller than Grey Manor, but a cottage is usually a rustic building with just a few rooms."

"Whatever." Christian answers with a shrug. "It's a beachside residence for use on weekends and vacations."

"Okay. It's our _cottage_." Ana says as she wraps her arms around Christian's neck. "But I still think it's a house." As they walk back to the kitchen area in the great room, Ana asks "You said that the extra bunk beds were for the cousins. Where would their parents sleep? There is only one guest room, so what if your parents, as well as Kate and Elliott and Mia and Ethan visit at the same time?"

Christian takes a deep breath before answering. "My thought is that separate cottages would eventually be built for them. That way, the families could be together when we want, but everyone has their privacy as well."

Ana giggles. "You mean, the island will be the Grey Compound?"

Christian laughs. "I guess you could call it that."

Ana narrows her eyes as she looks at Christian. "I assume you've had Elliott and his company build this 'cottage' as well as the one for the security staff." Christian nods. "Does Kate know about this?"

"I don't know." Christian admits. "I asked Elliott not to say anything to you as I wanted it to be a surprise for Christmas. I don't know if he said anything to Kate. Given their relationship the last while, I doubt that he has. Unless he needed to explain his whereabouts."

Ana's eyes sparkle. "I can't wait to tell Kate." She laughs. "Of course, her first response will be that 'Mr. Moneybags as more money than sense.'"

Christian laughs. "And her second comment will be 'Are you fucking nuts that you _want_ to cook for your family?"

"But I DO." Ana says adamantly. "I've always enjoyed cooking, especially for you and the children. I just don't get the opportunity very often. Don't get me wrong, Gail is great. But I'm always afraid I'll do something wrong, or things are arranged differently than I would do it. So, I'm always aware I'm in someone else's kitchen."

"Just remember that Gail does work for _us_, so the kitchen is _yours._" Christian says forcefully.

"Christian! Gail was working for you long before I arrived on the scene. I love her and I wouldn't want her to feel the kitchen wasn't her domain." Ana says as she runs her hands through his copper locks. "I wouldn't want to risk her quitting." Ana pushes herself out of Christian's arms. "Although I'd love to stay in your arms forever, I do need to explore this kitchen and decide what I'm going to whip up for dinner."

"Whip up?" Christian says with a smirk. "Now you're getting me hot and bothered, Mrs. Grey."

Ana points towards the door. "Out! Go look after _our_ children will I see about dinner." She looks at Christian. "And stow that twitchy palm." She smiles at him. "At least for now."

"Laters, Baby." Christian says as he walks outside.


	73. Chapter 73

Ana is ecstatic at how well stocked the kitchen is. Ana checks for the various ingredients she wants to do a stir fry for dinner and ensures that all the necessary cooking utensils have been provided as well. Gail certainly knows what everyone likes and what Ana would need to provide for her family. Once she knows everything is available to prepare dinner, Ana returns outside for some family playtime before having to start dinner.

"Look at the sand castles we've made." Christiana shouts out when she sees Ana walking back down to the beach.

"You all have certainly been busy." Ana says as she ooh's and ahh's at the construction.

"Daddy helped too!" Christiana says.

"Yes, I suspected he must have had some involvement." Ana says with a smirk. "I've never seen a castle with GEH engraved on the walls before."

"Oh that was Phoebe's idea." Carrick quickly says. "She said she wants to get accustomed to ensuring her property is marked properly."

"So, you plan on taking over Grey Enterprises someday, Phoebe?" Ana asks her oldest daughter. "What about Grey Publishing? I thought you liked books."

"I do like books, Mom." Phoebe assures her mother. "But mergers and acquisitions more interesting than publishing books."

"You're not rolling your eyes, now are you Mrs. Grey?" Christian asks with a laugh.

"I certainly am, Mr. Grey." Ana answers. "What are you going to do about it?"

Christian pulls Ana into his arms and kisses her soundly, much to the delight of their children. "Laters, Baby." Christian promises with a growl.

"I'm counting on it." Ana says with a giggle.

"Mom. I'm hungry." Teddy announces. "When's dinner?"

"It can be anytime." Ana answers. "I'm going to do a chicken stir fry, so it won't take too long. Especially if I have help preparing the vegetables and chicken." As she speaks she looks up at Christian with a smirk.

Christian laughs and holds up his hands. "You know me and my knife skills."

"I know. You have still never learned how to chop vegetables, even after all these years." Ana says with an overdramatic sigh.

"No, but I have other skills." Christian says as he wiggles his eyebrows.

"Oh gross, Dad." Phoebe says with a huff. "I'll help you, Mom."

"So will I." Teddy says. "I'm glad you're teaching me how to cook." He adds as he looks at his father.

"That's good, Teddy." Christian says with a laugh. "People say that girls are really impressed with guys that can cook."

"I'm glad you were able to impress Mommy with your other skills, since you can't cook." Christiana says.

"Oh yes, I was certainly impressed by everything that your father does." Ana assured her daughter.

Ana returns to the cottage, accompanied by Teddy and Phoebe while Christian and Andrew stayed on the beach watching the younger children continue to play in the sand.

"Does Dad really not know how to chop up vegetables?" Teddy asks as he finishes cutting the carrots and peppers, proudly admiring his handiwork.

Ana smiles as she remembers the first meal she cooked for Christian. "Yes. The first time I cooked a meal for him, I asked him to chop some vegetables for me and he mutilated the tomatoes. I teased him so much over the years that he is determined to never learn." Ana laughs. "But he certainly can master the microwave."

When dinner is almost ready, Ana goes to the door to ask Christian and Andrew to bring the children in to wash up for dinner.

As the sit down for dinner, Andrew asks "Do we have the ingredients to make s'mores?"

"I'm not sure." Ana answers. "I did see marshmallows. I'll have to look for the rest."

"We gathered some wood and have set up a fire pit." Andrew informs Ana. "I thought we could have a bon fire and cook s'mores. But if we don't have the crackers or chocolate, we could just toast marshmallows."

"That sounds like a great idea!" Ana exclaims. She looks at Christian. "You're okay with having a bon fire?"

Christian sighs. "I'm willing to try." He looks around the table at his children. "But everyone needs to promise to be careful around the fire and to stay back from the flames."

"Yes Dad." They all say.

"What's mores?" Lucas asks.

Ana licks her lips and moans. "S'mores are yummy. I haven't had any in years. Not since I last went camping with Grandpa Ray before I left home for college. You put a piece of chocolate and a marshmallow between some graham wafers and melt them together over a fire." At the fearful look on Christian's face, Ana continues "It's probably best for Andrew, your father or I should do for you as we don't want you to risk burning your arm in the fire." She looked at Andrew. "Did you gather up some long branches that could be used for toasting marshmallows?"

"Yes, I did." Andrew assured Ana with a big smile. "They should be long enough so that people can stay well back from the flames."

The children quickly finished their dinner and were anxious to do the bon fire. As Andrew gets the fire going, Christian gives precise instructions to the children as to how close they could get to the fire and warns them of the penalty if they misbehave. Watching the excitement of the children as they learn how to toast marshmallows and enjoy the s'mores, Christian begins to relax. He sits on a blanket on the ground with Ana sitting between his spread legs. As the air became cooler, he wraps a blanket around them and he is able to fondle her breasts without the children seeing where his hands are. "You need to be quiet, Anastasia." He whispers in her ear.

"Aren't people supposed to sing songs when sitting around a campfire?" Christiana asks. "Daddy! Sing some songs."

"Huh?" Christian asks. He was concentrating on nuzzling Ana's neck and didn't hear Christiana.

"Christiana asked you to sing some campfire songs." Phoebe says indignantly. "But you weren't paying attention."

"I'm sorry, Princess. I was busy nibbling Mommy." Christian says with a smile.

"Does Mommy taste better than s'mores?" Christiana giggles.

"She does to me." Christian answers. "I'm not sure if I know any campfire songs. What do you want to sing? You'll have to sing with me."

The family starts singing songs while toasting marshmallows and making s'mores. Eventually, Jason and Lucas are yawning and can barely keep their eyes open. Christian asks Andrew to take care of dowsing the fire with the assistance of Phoebe and Teddy while he and Ana take the other children up to the cottage to get ready for bed. Ana takes Jason and Lucas by the hand while Christian carries Carrick and Christiana follows. When Andrew, Teddy and Phoebe entered the cottage, they were all trying to hide yawns.

At dinnertime the children had been given a quick tour of the cottage and all had agreed that they wanted to all sleep in the same room as there were enough bunk beds in one of the bedrooms. Jason and Lucas shared the double bed, with Teddy sleeping in the bunk above. Carrick and Christiana took the bottoms of other bunk beds while Andrew and Phoebe took the tops.

Once the children were all put to bed, Christian and Ana walk out to the great room hand in hand. "Do you want some more wine?" Ana asks Christian.

"Sure. I'll get it. Go sit down, Baby. You must be dead on your feet." Christian says tenderly. "Would you like some juice?"

"Yes please." Ana says as she gets comfortable on the couch in front of the fireplace. "It has been a long day, but it has been fantastic." On his way to the couch, Christian ignites the gas fireplace and settles down beside Ana. He pulls Ana into his arms. "Thank you Christian." Ana says as she snuggles closer.

"For what?" Christian asks.

"For everything." Ana says. "Taking us out on the _Anastasia_ for a private family out. Surprising me with this cottage. For letting the children experience a campfire." She pulls back to look Christian in the eye. "I'm sure it was difficult for you letting the children get so close to an open fire. But you did quite well."

"You're welcome, Ana." Christian says as he pulls her back into his arms and starts nuzzling her neck. "Of course, you did your best to keep me distracted."

"Who me?" Ana asks breathlessly.

"Yes." Christian says before taking a nip on her throat. "It wasn't just _my_ hands that were busy under that blanket." Ana giggles. "God, I love that sound."

"Do we have to go home tomorrow?" Ana asks sorrowfully.

"Yes, I'm afraid so." Christian tells her. "We both need to get ready for another work week. Especially since other events prevented both of us from our offices this past week."

"I know." Ana says with a heavy sigh. "I love this place." She turns to look at Christian. "We will get to spend lots of time here?"

Christian flashes his mega-watt smile at her. "Of course. Whenever you want."

Ana wraps her hands around Christian's head and pulls his mouth to hers. "And what does Sir want?" she asks huskily.

Christian groans and stands with Ana in his arms. "You." He answers. Christian carries Ana into the master bedroom and proceeds on through to the bathroom. He sets Ana on the vanity while he turns to run a bath, pouring jasmine oil into the water. While the oversized tub is filling with water, Christian returns to Ana to stand between her legs. He cups her face to gaze into her eyes. "I love you Anastasia and will do anything for you. Tell me what you want."

Ana runs her hands through Christian's copper locks. "I just want you. Fore ever. Any way I can." She leans forward to put her lips against his. "And every way I can." She adds with a smirk before running her tongue over his lips and then thrusting it inside his mouth to tease his tongue. Christian groans and pulls Ana tight against him. By the time their mouths pull apart, both are breathless and they are both topless, with their shirts and Ana's bra thrown to the floor. Christian suddenly pulls away and shuts off the tub faucets just before the water is about overflows the sides. He reaches down to release the drain to lower the water level. Once he is satisfied with the water level, he returns to Ana and removes her shorts and panties. He quickly removes his shorts and briefs as one before picking Ana up off the vanity and stepping into the bathtub. He leans against the back of the tub, drawing Ana back against his chest. He wraps his legs around hers.

"Lay back against me, Ana." Christian whispers in her ear before nuzzling the side of her neck. Christian runs his hands down her arms and over her stomach. "I can't believe you're pregnant with my seventh child. You've always been gorgeous, but when you're pregnant, you glow."

Ana giggles. "You just like the bigger boobs."

"God, I love that sound." Christian growls. He cups her breasts and squeezes gently. "The bigger boobs _are_ a bonus. But I love the whole package, Anastasia." He returns his hands to her stomach. "You have brought some much light and love into my life I can't begin to repay you."

"You don't need to repay me, Christian." Ana responds breathlessly. "Just continue to love me and the children."

"Oh, I intend to, Anastasia. Until the day I die." Christian vows with a growl. His hands move from Ana's expanding stomach to run along her legs. When he inserts a finger into her vagina, Ana groans and opens her legs wider. Christian's lips continue their caress on Ana's neck as he inserts a second finger. "Is this what you want, Ana?"

"Yes!" Ana says. "More!" she shouts as Christian moves his fingers and his thumb starts to rub her clitoris.

"Shh!" Christian says with a smile. "You don't want to wake up the children, do you?"

"I can't help it!" Ana moans. "OHH! Don't stop!" she says as Christian stops moving his fingers and thumb.

"You need to be quiet." Christian orders. "Otherwise I'll have to stop."

"Oh really?" Ana says as she wiggles her ass against Christian's harden cock. "And what relief will you get then?"

"You got me there." Christian says. He tips Ana's head so that he can capture her mouth. He inserts a third finger into Ana's vagina while his thumb resumes rubbing her clitoris. After a few thrusts of his finger, Ana's screams are silenced by his mouth. "Very good, Ana." He whispers as her body stops trembling. He reaches for the body wash and pours some into his hands before rubbing his hands over Ana's body.

Ana turns around in Christian's arms and pours some body wash into her hands to starts washing Christian. Her eyes gleam when she grasps his hardened cock in her hand and Christian groans. "Shh! You'll wake the children." Ana says. She lifts herself up and comes down on his cock. Christian grips her arms to control her movements as she rides his cock. "Oh God!" Ana shouts, trying to muffle her cry in Christian's mouth. Christian's hands move from Ana's arms up to cup her face as they share a deep kiss as they climax at the same time.

"Oh, you are going to be the death of me." Christian says when he is able to speak. "I love the sound of your giggle." He says as Ana giggles in response. Christian sets Ana aside before standing up to step out of the tub. "The water is getting cold." He says as he grabs a towel and wraps it around Ana before picking her up and carrying her into the bedroom. He pulls the duvet off the bed before setting Ana on the side of the bed and rolling her out of the towel so that she is lying in the middle of the bed.

Christian's eyes glaze over at the look of lust in Ana's eyes. Christian climbs onto the bed and positions himself between Ana's legs. He grabs Ana's feet to pull her closer to him. He pulls her legs up over his shoulders as he lowers his mouth to her sex. Ana gasps as his tongue thrusts into her folds. She fists her hands in his hair, forcing his mouth even closer. When she gives a shout, Christian's mouth leaves her sex to nip at her inner thigh. "Shh, Anastasia" he rasps. "Don't want to wake the children." He says before returning his mouth to her sex. Ana grabs a pillow in an attempt to muffle her screams when she feels her orgasm starting. Christian continues his ministrations even when her orgasm subsides. Ana can feel his smile against her sex when another orgasm starts to overtake her body. As her body starts to calm, Christian kisses his way up her body, lingering on her belly, before continuing to capture her mouth with his. She moans as she tastes herself.

"You are incredible, Anastasia." Christian says. "So responsive."

"And you are evil." Ana says with a smile. "You drive me crazy and then expect me to be able to keep quiet." She strokes Christian's face as he beams down at her. "Did you not instruct Elliott to sound proof this bedroom?"

"Of course." Christian says. "I just like giving you orders and seeing if you're able to obey." He says with a smirk. "Ouch!" he exclaims with a pout as Ana slaps him on the shoulder.

"Well, if I wasn't so tired, I'd try to retaliate and see if you obey _my_ orders." Ana says as she feigns a yawn and snuggles into Christian's arms. As Christian wraps his arm around Ana to pull her onto his chest, Ana smiles and runs her hand down his chest to cup his cock. She smirks as it jerks in her hand and quickly hardens. "Hmmm….I don't even have to issue commands. It just jumps to attention in my hand."

Christian laughs. "It knows its owner." Christian's grey eyes gaze into Ana's blue eyes. "Only you, Ana. Only you."

Ana's blue eyes hold Christian's grey eyes. "I know." She says huskily. She smiles when Christian gasps as she strokes his cock and continues to pump.

"Oh Ana!" Christian shouts.

"Shhh!" Ana orders. "Don't wake the children." She says with a smile. She gasps when Christian captures her mouth with his. He reaches down between their bodies and pulls her hand away from his cock. He lifts her arms over her heads, holding them in place with one hand as the other skims over her body. He raises his body over hers and teases her sex with his cock before pushing into her. "Oh Yes!" Ana says. "Harder!"

"I love you, Anastasia." Christian cries as they climax together.

"I love you too, Christian." Ana says as she tries to breathe normally. They lay in each other's arms for several minutes enjoying the togetherness. When Ana shivers, Christian gets up to gather the duvet and pulls it over them. He pulls Ana back into his arms and they soon both fall asleep.


	74. Chapter 74

The following afternoon, Christian and Ana ensure that the children have all their belongings and everyone heads back to board the _Anastasia_ to return home. As she is about to step onto the dock, Ana stops to give a last look at her new cottage. She turns and finds Christian looking at her with his intense gaze. She blushes at the memories of how they enjoyed their new firsts in the cottage. Christian wraps an arm around Ana to pull her to his side. "Yes, I enjoyed our firsts as well." He leans down to lightly graze her lips with his. "We'll have to return without the children to enjoy some more firsts. The cottage is too open and too many ears and eyes around to do some of the things I envisioned."

Ana laughs before kissing him back. "You must be getting old, Mr. Grey. You used to be quite inventive." She giggles as she quickly steps away from Christian and tries to run to the yacht. But Christian is quicker and grabs her, lifting her up into his arms to board the yacht. Christiana claps in glee at the antics of her parents, while Phoebe just rolls her eyes.

Once Christian and Andrew help Mac get the yacht underway, Christian returns to Ana's side. She snuggles up to him. "Thank you Christian. This little family get away was just what I needed. I look forward to coming here frequently." She pulls back to look at him. "How long will it take to get here if we come straight here from home?"

"About a couple of hours aboard the_ Anastasia_." Christian says. "But a motor boat would be quicker." He flashes his mega-watt smile to her. "And even faster by seaplane."

"Seaplane?" Ana asks. "We don't have…. Oh stupid me." She says as she hits herself on the forehead. "I'm sure if there isn't one already back at the boathouse, there will soon be one delivered."

Christian laughs. "You know me so well, Anastasia." he says. "It's going to be _my_ Christmas gift." Ana just shakes her head and snuggles into Christian's arms.

The next morning, Ana smiles as she sits in the back of her SUV with Ryan driving her to work, remembering the weekend. Christian seemed to be able to relax and even managed to stay off his phone for extended periods of time. The children enjoyed playing on the beach and exploring the cottage. They were all excited with the bunk beds and insisted in sleeping in the same room. Long after the children were send to bed, laughter and giggles could be heard. When Christian started to walk to the room to settle them down, Ana stopped him and distracted him in her own special way. And of course, Christian had no objection to the distraction. Ana enjoyed being able to cook for her family without feeling she was stepping into Gail's territory. She snickered at the memory of cooking breakfast the day before. When the older children wanted to help, Christian offered as well and pouted when Ana put him on toast duty.

Ana hopes that it will be a relatively normal work week, barring the fact that Hannah is still away with Luke and today will be a short day as she will need to leave early to be at the hospital as Ray will be arriving from Portland.

Shortly after Ana settles into her office, she makes several phone calls before calling Kate.

"Hi Ana." Kate says as she answers the phone. "How is Ray doing?"

"He's doing fine, all things considered. He is due to arrive at Northwest around 2 pm this afternoon, so I'll be leaving work to be there for when he arrives."

"Give him my love." Kate says. "How was your time on the boat?"

"It was wonderful. Nice and relaxing. I know I really needed the time away from everything and I think Christian did too." Ana says. "But we ended up not staying overnight on the boat."

"You didn't?" Kate questions. "Where did you all stay? You didn't come home did you?"

Ana giggles. "I guess Elliott can keep a secret."

"WHAT?" Kate shouts. "He better not have. He promised no more lies or sneaking around."

"NO! That's not what I meant." Ana quickly tries to reassure her best friend and sister-in-law. "Apparently Christian hired Elliott to build a cottage on an island Christian bought for me."

"WHAT?" Kate exclaims. "An island? Leave it to Christian Grey, billionaire extraordinaire, to buy his wife an island. Which island? Australia?"

Ana laughs. "No, not _that_ big. Besides, it's too far away. But don't give him any ideas. Knowing him, that would be my next Christmas gift."

"Christmas gift?" Kate asks. "That's still months away."

"I know." Ana responds. "Christian bought an isolated island and Elliott built a cottage for us and another one for security to stay in to be separate from us. The intent was to be my Christmas gift, but with everything that's gone on for the past week, Christian decided to present it to me early." Ana sighs happily. "You should see it Kate. The cottage is huge and the kitchen is all mine. There is a sandy beach and a dock large enough to accommodate the _Anastasia_ as well as the seaplane that Christian is buying for travelling back and forth."

"Seaplane?" Kate asks in astonishment. "You mean Charlie Tango isn't enough?"

"Well, I guess they would have had to cut down too many trees to create a landing pad." Ana giggles and adds "Besides it gives Christian an excuse to buy himself another toy."

Kate laughs. "Like Mr. Moneybags needs an excuse."

"I know." Ana says with a sigh. "But he gets so much pleasure from other people's happiness."

"When do I get to see this cottage?" Kate asks.

"We'll need to check schedules." Ana says. "You and Elliott do have to make a trip there to pick out the best spot for your cottage."

"Our cottage?" Kate asks.

"Yes." Ana answers. "Christian's plan is to build separate cottages for everyone. That way we can still vacation together but still have privacy."

"Oh. You mean like when we all went to Maui several years ago. Christian rented separate bungalows for everyone, including security."

"Yes. Only now you will own the cottage and be able to decorate it however you want." Ana tells her.

"Thank you Ana." Kate says. "I'll have to talk to Elliott."

The two friends say their good-byes and disconnect. Ana resumes working until it is time for her to leave for the hospital. At the front door of the hospital, Ryan holds open the door of the SUV for Ana to step out. She turns to look when an identical SUV pulls up behind her vehicle. She smiles when she sees Reynolds get out of the driver's seat to go around to open the rear door for Christian. "Christian!" she calls as she rushes into his arms. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course I'd be here." Christian says before he gives her a quick kiss. "I'm here to support you while we get your father settled in his room here."

Christian takes Ana's hand and they walk through the front door to the information desk in the lobby. Ana rolls her eyes at the reaction of the females working at the desk. "_Christian should be forced to carry a drool towel to offer to all the females he encounters during the course of the day."_ She says to herself.

Ana squeezes Christian's hand and steps forward. "Hello, I'm Ana Grey. My father, Raymond Steele, is being transported from Portland today. We're wondering if he has arrived yet."

The receptionist checks her computer screen and when she turns back, she looks at Christian and smiles, ignoring Ana. "Yes. He arrived just a few minutes ago and is being taken upstairs to his room. Room 510."

"Thank you." Ana says forcefully and turns towards the elevator, still holding Christian's hand. Reynolds and Ryan have joined them after having parked the vehicles. As they stand waiting at the elevator, Ana taps her foot. "WHAT?" Ana hisses as she turns to glare at Christian when he starts chuckling.

Christian reaches a hand out to tuck a lock of Ana's hair behind her ear. "You." He says. At Ana's raised eyebrow, he elaborates. "You're reaction to the receptionist. I've always told you 'It's just a face.'" Christian raises Ana's hand to his lips to kiss. "You should be accustomed to it by now."

Ana sighs. "I know. But it is rude to ignore the person asking the questions." The elevator doors open and they wait for people to exit. Ryan steps into the elevator first and holds the doors open for Christian and Ana who are followed by Reynolds. When the elevator doors open on the fifth floor, the same routine is repeated.

The door to Room 510 is closed and Ana knocks lightly before gently pushing the door open and looking into the room hesitantly. A nurse is busy making adjustments to the bedside equipment. Ray is lying on the bedside and his eyes light up when he sees Ana. "Annie!" he calls.

"Hi Daddy!" Ana says with a smile as she proceeds on into the room. She rushes to the side of the bed to lean over and kiss his cheek.

"Hello Ray." Christian says as he proceeds into the room. "Everything go okay for your trip?"

"Hi Christian." Ray responds. "I guess everything went okay. I'm here."

"Well, I'm glad you are." Ana says as she sits in the chair beside the bed. She proceeds to tell her father about the family's adventures since she left him in Portland.

"An entire island?" Ray questions in astonishment as he looks at Christian.

Christian shrugs and looks sheepishly at his father-in-law. "It's one way to ensure privacy."

Ray laughs. "Well, I guess you can afford it."

The three continued to visit and eventually Ray's eyes grew heavy. "Ana, we should be going. Ray needs to sleep. It will have been a long day for him." Christian says as he puts his hands on Ana's shoulders.

Ana sighs as she stands up. "I know." She says. She leans down and kisses Ray on the cheek. "Bye for now Dad. I'll come back after work."

"Annie, don't worry about me. Go home and have dinner with your husband and children. You need to take care of yourself and my latest grandchild. I appreciate you having me relocated to Seattle while I recover, but please don't feel that you need to camp out here." Ray tells her.

"But Dad. I don't want you to feel abandoned." Ana says as she squeezes his hand.

"I don't feel abandoned. There's lots of people around." Ray tries to assure her.

"Yes. Hospital staff, but not family." Ana argues.

Ray grins at Ana. "Maybe I want to hit on a nurse or two. Having a pregnant, adult daughter doting on me might cramp my style." Ana glares at Christian when he snickers.

Ana sighs. "Okay. God forbid that I cramp my father's chance to pick up a woman."

"Bye, Annie." Ray says. "Take care of my girl, Christian." He says as Christian shakes his hand.

"That's my purpose in life." Christian says. "I saw that eye roll, Anastasia." He says with a smile. Christian takes Ana's hand and they leave the room. They head to the elevators, flanked by Reynolds and Ryan.

When they step into the elevator, Christian stands behind Ana and wraps his arms around her. He brushes his lips along the nape of her neck and whispers in her ear. "He'll be okay, Ana. We have the best medical staff looking after him."

"I know." Ana says with a sigh. She turns around in Christian's arms to kiss him on the lips. "It's just that I worry about him. He was my rock during Mom's multiple relationships. I'm afraid I'll lose him."

Christian gazes into Ana's glistening eyes. His thumb wipes at the tears forming. He lightly kisses her on the lips. "I'll do my best to ensure that won't happen for a long time." He vows.

Ana is about to kiss Christian when Reynolds' coughs and says "We're at the lobby, Sir." Ana turns around and sees that Ryan is standing in front of the elevator while Reynolds is holding the open door button.

Ana and Christian smile at one another and at the same time say "What is it about elevators?" Christian takes Ana by the hand and they step out of the elevator and head to the front doors of the hospital.


	75. Chapter 75

Over the next few weeks, life in the Grey household gradually returns to normal. Christian and Ana have resumed their office routines and the children their school routines. Carrick insisted on using his crutches to move around and was usually tired when he got home from school each day.

Ray's recovery progressed and he was released from hospital to spend time at Grey Manor while he continues his convalescence. He wanted to return to his home in Montesano, but reached a compromise with Ana when she threatened to move in with him during his recovery. He refused to admit to Ana that he was enjoying spending time with his grandchildren.

Taylor continues to do light security duties, operating the Security Office at Grey Manor, while his shoulder heals. Reynolds continues his temporary assignment as Christian's personal security. Once Sawyer returned from his mini-vacation with his family in Aspen, Ryan was reassigned to Carrick and Louisa Sanchez was hired as Christiana's new security. Their former security, Lopez and Stone, continue to recover from the car accident. Christian and Ana assured them that all their medical bills will be taken of and they will continue to be employed by the Greys.

As promised at the press conference at the hospital, Ana and Kate have gotten involved with the MADD organization. Phoebe was insistent on recording a public service ad giving a similar speech as she had given at the press conference. Despite Christian's initial hesitation of Phoebe being in the public eye, he was a proud father at her dedication to a worthy cause and the accolades she continues to receive from the public.

Ana is working in her office at Grey Publishing when Hannah buzzes her to announce that Kate has arrived for their lunch date. Ana has booked off the afternoon as the two friends will be going dress shopping after lunch. Ana has purchased a table for the upcoming MADD banquet and both she and Kate have found that they are both in the need for new dresses to accommodate their expanding waistlines. Ana laughs to herself "_Not that Kate Kavanaugh Grey needs an excuse to go dress shopping."_

The office door opens and Kate walks in. "Hurray up, Steele Grey, I'm hungry." Kate says. She runs her hand over her baby bump. "And my alien invader keeps reminding me of that fact."

Ana laughs. "You just want to get to the stores."

"Well, that too." Kate says with a laugh. "So come, let's get going. The sooner we eat, the sooner we can hit the stores."

"Okay. I'm ready." Ana says as she closes down her computer. She picks up an envelope. "This was just delivered from MADD. I haven't had a chance to open it yet. We'll look at it at lunch." The two women walk out of the office and stop at Hannah's desk in the outer office.

"Luke is waiting for you out front." Hannah informs Ana.

"Thanks, Hannah." Ana says to her Personal Assistant. "Call me if anything urgent comes up. I'll try to have Luke home early to you too." Ana laughs. "Just depends on how long it takes to find a dress that will fit."

Once the two friends are seated in the restaurant and they have ordered their food, Ana opens the envelope she brought with her. "Oh!" Ana exclaims when she reads the enclosed brochure.

"What?" Kate asks as she grabs the brochure from Ana's hands. "Oh. My. God." she exclaims. The originally scheduled guest speaker has bowed out and has been replaced by Pierre LeBrun, all-star pitcher for the New York Yankees.

Ana looks at her friend. "Did you know that Pierre would be back in Seattle?" she asks. "Or involved with MADD?"

"No, I haven't had any contact with Pierre since just after he was traded from the Mariners to the Yankees." Kate says. "Of course I'm aware of his career and the continued success he's had in baseball since going to New York." At Ana's questioning look, Kate continues. "Shortly after he had gone to New York, he invited me for the weekend. I planned on going, to see if we could do a long distance relationship, but Ava got sick and I wasn't going to leave her with Elliott and whatever tramp he was with at that point." Kate shrugs. "Pierre never invited me again. Within a couple of weeks, he was in the tabloids hitting the New York nightlife with various models. And soon after that I started dating Simon."

"Soooo, Kate." Ana says with a gleam in her eye. "Will this change what you'll wear to the charity banquet?"

Kate tilts her head and smiles serenely. "Maaaybeee." She says, drawing out the word. "Depends on what is available and fits."

"You are going to tell Elliott, aren't you?" Ana questions.

Kate shrugs. "I don't know. Probably not. He usually finds an excuse to step out at the guest speaker point of a banquet – even when Christian is the speaker."

"But I thought you two had agreed to no more secrets." Ana reminds her friend. "Wouldn't it be better for him to know ahead of time rather than be taken by surprise when he arrives at the event?"

"On the other hand, telling him puts more importance on Pierre's appearance than it warrants." Kate says. "Yes, we were lovers a few years ago after Elliott and I had divorced. Pierre helped me get my self-esteem back after constantly being humiliated with Elliott parading his bimbos around town. But we've both moved on with our lives."

"I just wouldn't want Elliott to go nuclear the night of the event if he isn't aware ahead of time of Pierre's appearance." Ana says.

"Elliott isn't Christian. He's much more laid back." Kate points out. "But I guess it would be better if he wasn't taken by surprise that night. I just don't know how to tell him without it seeming that there is any relevance to his appearance in Seattle."

Ana bites her lip. "Why don't I have Christian give Elliott a heads up? Or Grace?"

Kate sighs. "It would probably be better coming from Christian. You know: man to man."

Before Ana can say anything else, the waitress appears with their lunch. Both had ordered the daily special: soup, salad and sandwich. They declined dessert, having decided to wait until after they went dress shopping when they may need a break.

When they arrive at Neiman's, Sawyer turns the car over to the valet and from a distance, follows the two women into the store. "Does it no longer bother you having Luke, or other security, constantly following you around?" Kate asks Ana.

Ana sighs. "I admit that sometimes it does. Especially with a weak bladder when I'm pregnant and make frequently runs to the washroom. At least I've always managed to dissuade Christian from assigning me another female security. At least I can get some privacy in the washroom." Ana giggles. "Although one time I took too long, Luke was on the verge on organizing a lock-down. At Christian's demand."

"What?" Kate exclaims. "A lock-down because you took too long in the washroom?"

"Yes." Ana answers. "I had a gastrointestinal reaction at a business lunch and was in the washroom longer than usual. Christian had tried to phone me, but I couldn't reach the phone. When I didn't answer, Christian phoned Luke and went ballistic when informed that I was out of Luke's visual range." Ana giggles as she continues. "Luke stormed into the washroom, gun pulled out, and stopped short when he found me washing my hands at the sink. Fortunately there were no other women in the washroom at the time."

Kate is laughing with tears rolling down her face. "Oh, stop. I'm going to wet my pants."

Ana is laughter almost as hard. "Oh it gets better!" she manages to get out. "When Luke and I walk out of the washroom, there were several women approaching the door. The look on their faces!" Ana wipes at her tears with her napkin. "The women looked Luke up and down and then turn to me and gave me two thumbs up!"

"Oh this is priceless." Kate manages to get out while trying to stop laughing. "And you never told me this?"

Ana tries to get herself under control. "If I remember, you were out of town at the time."

"What was Christian's reaction? You did tell him about the women's reactions?" Kate says.

Ana's laughter starts up again. "Yes. Luke had to provide a report but he omitted the reaction of the women. But when Luke had admitted to me that he had gone storming into the washroom at Christian's insistence, I lit into Christian when I got home. And ended with informing Christian the women's reactions when they saw Luke and I exited the women's washroom."

"Oh. My. God!" Kate exclaims. "How did Mr. Possessive react to that?"

"Well, at first he went thermonuclear that women would think Luke and I had been getting in on in the public washroom. But I pointed out to him that if Luke hadn't been ordered to storm into the washroom, he would have still been out in the hallway when the women approached the washroom." Ana giggles. "Not only did he apologize to me, he also apologized to Luke."

Kate starts coughing. "APOLOGIZED? The great Christian Grey apologized to your security detail? I wished I had seen that."

"I wished I had recorded it too." Ana tells her friend. "The looks on Luke and Jason's faces were priceless." Ana sighs. "Of course, that incident reinforced in Christian's mind that I should have female security, but I put my foot down. And Christian was still so embarrassed of his overreaction that he dropped the issue."

"I'm sure you did more than put your foot down." Kate says. "I'm sure you had to use other means to get Mr. Control Freak to change his mind."

Ana smiles serenely as she looks through dresses on the clothing rack in front of her. "Well…let's just say it warranted some time spent as Escala."

"TMI!" Kate says.

The two women put their minds to their task at hand and start setting aside dresses to take the fitting room. Two sales clerks magically appear with two wheeled clothing racks for the dresses and wait nearby for the women to finish with the selections. Ana smiles in appreciation. She had come to an agreement with the store management many years ago that she wanted to do her own selections and would not tolerate anyone hovering over her.

When Kate and Ana decide they have pulled out all the dresses of interest, the sales clerks wheel the racks towards the fitting room area. Kate stops and looks at Luke. "Luke. Ana is going into the fitting room now. She won't be coming back out until she finds some suitable dresses. No need to come in guns ablazing if she takes too long."

Luke looks between Kate and Ana. "You told her?" he asks Ana with a groan. Ana's only response was to giggle.

Kate laughs. "Don't worry, Luke. Your secret is safe with me." She says before going into the fitting room area, followed by Ana.

Ana and Kate go into separate rooms, but agree to meet out in the large lounge area to show each other the dresses. The both try on numerous dresses which they like, but not satisfied as "the" dress for the charity banquet.

"Oh wow! The colour really shows off your eyes." Ana exclaims as Kate walks out wearing a slim fitting emerald green satin dress. The dress is cut low in the front and backless with a thigh high slit. The slim fit shows off her baby bump. "If you weren't already pregnant, you would be after wearing that dress, Kate." Ana says.

Kate looks at herself in the floor length mirrors, moving around to look herself both front and back. "You don't think it shows too much skin?" she asks.

"Vivacious Kate Kavanaugh asking mousy Ana Steele if she's showing too much skin? I never thought I see the day." Ana says with a laugh. "You look fantastic. You've never been one to hide your fantastic body. I think you look fantastic. Elliott will be all over you."

"You think so?" Kate asks hesitantly.

Ana looks at Kate. "Is it Elliott's reaction you're concerned about?" she asks. "Or someone else's?"

Kate runs her hand over her baby bump, refraining from answering Ana's question. "Skin and baby bump doesn't necessarily go together."

Ana looks at her best friend with an astonished look on her face. "Katherine Grey! With all of my pregnancies, you've always encouraged me to show off my baby bump." Ana smiles. "And Christian never seems to mind me showing off that part of my body. At least as long as I have it covered."

Kate rolls her eyes. "Of course Christian Grey wouldn't object to his wife emphasising her baby bump. You're showing off to the world that you belong to him. Just like your engagement and wedding ring."

Kate looks at herself in the mirrors again. "Yes, I think this is the one." She smiles. "But I think I'll try on some more dresses anyway. A woman can never have too many dresses to choose from." She looks at Ana. "How are you doing? Have you found 'the' dress yet?"

Ana looks at herself in the mirror. "No, I don't think this one will do. It's a gorgeous dress, but my bump is already too large for this style." She turns and head back to her fitting room and Kate does the same after taking one last admiring look at herself in the mirror.

A few minutes later both women reconvene in the lounge. "Oh Ana! That is 'the' dress for you!" Kate exclaims. Ana smiles shyly as she looks in the mirror and gasps when she sees her image. The strapless dress is sapphire blue with a lace top and a full chiffon skirt. The blue of the dress accentuates her eyes. "Your diamond and sapphire jewellery from your Vow Renewal will look stunning with this dress."

"Okay." Ana says. "We've got our dresses." She sighs. "I don't know about you Kate, but I'm exhausted. We both have set aside several other dresses as well and I think I'm done."

"What about shoes?" Kate asks with a frown. "I was thinking I should see if I could get shoes to match my dress."

"Kate Kavanaugh Grey. You have tons of shoes. Do you really need a pair of green shoes?" Ana questions. "How often would you wear them?"

"Everytime I wear the green dress." Kate says. "But I agree with you. I'm getting tired. Pregnancy sucks when it makes me too tired to even shop." She sighs. "I guess I should be able to find a suitable pair of shoes in my closet."

The sales women have been waiting patiently nearby. Seeing Kate's motioning to them, they hurry to the women's side. Kate and Ana indicate which dresses they will be purchasing and the sales clerks start to hang the chosen dresses on the clothes racks while Ana and Kate change back into their own clothing. Once changed, Ana hands over the sapphire dress to her sales woman for it to be added to the rack. The sales women head to the service counter to start ringing up their sales.

As Ana and Kate follow the sales clerks out of the fitting room area, Luke jumps up off the chair he had been sitting on putting in time. "That was quick!" he exclaims. "I thought you two would be taking all afternoon."

Ana giggles. "Blame it on our pregnancies. We are exhausted."

When the sales women have packaged up the purchases in garment bags, they hang the bags on one of the clothes racks and proceed to the front door after Ana and Kate, with Luke following behind the group.

Outside the front door, Luke gives the valet the ticket for the SUV. When the vehicle arrives, Luke inspects the interior of the car before opening the rear passenger door for Ana and Kate to enter the vehicle. As they settle themselves in the backseat, Luke opens the back and transfers the garment bags into the vehicle. Once Luke is behind the wheel of the vehicle, he questions "Where to?"

"My house." Kate says. She turns to Ana and asks. "Will you come in for a bit? Or do you want to get home to relax a bit before Mr. CEO gets home?"

"Relax with six children under the age of ten?" Ana laughs. "Ooooh…I could use a nice leisurely bath before dinner." She looks at Kate. "So if it's okay with you, I'll take a rain check on your invite."

"No problem." Kate says. "A leisurely bath sounds like an excellent idea."


	76. Chapter 76

Ana is relaxing in a luxurious bath after an afternoon of dress shopping with Kate. When she had arrived home, after dropping Kate of at her home, the Grey Manor was relatively quiet. The older children were still at school and the younger ones were all having naps. Carrick and Christiana were back attending school in the mornings, but tired easily – especially Carrick as he insisted on using crutches rather than a wheelchair to move around.

Ana is laying back, eyes closed, with her head on a bath pillow, enjoying listening to her ipod playing through speakers. She senses, rather than hears, someone enter the room. She opens her eyes and smiles at what she sees. Christian is walking towards the tub, removing his suit jacket. He hangs it on a wall hook and toes off his shoes as he loosens his tie. He leaves his tie hanging around his neck as he raises one foot and then the other to remove his socks.

"Don't stop now, Mr. Grey." Ana says huskily. "The show is just starting to get good."

"I aim to please Mrs. Grey" Christian says with a salacious grin. "And just what are hoping to see?" he asks as his fingers start to unfasten the buttons of his shirt. He smirks when he sees Ana's eyes glazing over. After removing his cufflinks and setting them on the vanity, he pulls his shirt from his pants. He chuckles when Ana moans. "More?"

"Oh most definitely." Ana manages to get the words out. She licks her lips when Christian's hands start to unfasten his belt and pulls down his zipper. Christian pulls his shirt off and takes his time folding it before setting it on the vanity with his cufflinks. Ana moans again. "Just get the pants off and join me in the bath, Christian." She orders.

Christian laughs at her tone. He quickly sheds his pants and boxers in one swift motion, leaving them pooled on the floor instead of taking time to fold them before setting the aside. Ana shifts in the bathtub to make space for Christian to slip in behind her. She moans as Christian's arms wraps around her expanded waist to pull her back against his chest. "Oh!" she exclaims when she feels his rapidly hardening erection against her.

Christian runs his lips along Ana's neck in a series of kisses from her shoulder up her neck. When his mouth reaches her ear, he lightly nips at the earlobe. He then repeats on her other shoulder. While his mouth is busy on her neck, Christian's hands are massaging her breasts. Ana raises herself slightly to reposition herself on Christian's hardened cock. Christian moves his hands to Ana's hips. "Oh yes!" Christian pants as Ana raises and lowers herself, riding his cock.

"Feels good?" Ana asks.

"Fuck yes!" Christian shouts. Christian's hands return to Ana's breasts to pinch her nipples and he grins when she yells. "Feels good?"

"Oh yeah!" Ana answers. "Ohhhh! That feels even better!" she exclaims as one of Christian's hands moves lower to rub her clitoris. She tips her head back and Christian leans down to capture her mouth with his.

"Come for me, Anastasia!" Christian orders as he feels the beginning of her orgasm. When Ana's breathing returns to normal, he lifts her up and down again on his cock. After a few thrusts, Ana orgasms again at the same that Christian finds his relief.

As they both try to breathe normal again, Ana turns around to straddle Christian and wrap her arms around him. "That was fantastic Christian. Just what I needed after an afternoon of shopping with Kate." She leans towards him to run her tongue over his lips.

Christian pulls her closer to him and opens his lips for her tongue to explore his mouth. Ana's hands run through his copper locks to keep his mouth against hers. Several minutes later, they pull back from one another, both trying to get their breath under control.

"The water is getting cold." Christian says. "And I haven't washed you yet." He adds with a pout.

Ana giggles. "Maybe we should wash ourselves. It would be quicker."

A few minutes later, Christian steps out of the tub and wraps a towel around his waist. He lifts Ana out of the tub and quickly wraps a towel around her. He picks her up and carries her to the bed where he lays her down, pulling the towel away from her. Ana lies on her back and looks up at Christian, her blue eyes locked with his grey eyes. She bites her lip and smiles when she sees Christian's eyes glaze over.

As Christian drops his towel and starts to climb onto the bed, Gail's voice comes over the intercom system to announce that dinner will be served in fifteen minutes. "Fuck!" Christian exclaimed. "I didn't realize it was so late." He looks longingly at his naked pregnant wife lying on their bed. "How about a rain check, Mrs. Grey?"

Ana sighs as she struggles to sit up. "I guess that will have to do." She flops back down on the bed and raises her hand towards Christian. "I feel like a beached whale. I need help to get up."

Christian laughs as he pulls Ana up and off the bed. Once she is standing he quickly steps back and raises his hands in surrender in response to her glare. "Sorry." He leans in and gives her a quick kiss. "But you make a cute beached whale."

"I haven't had a chance to show you what I bought today." Ana says.

"Laters, Baby." Christian answers. "You can model them for me."

Ten minutes later, Christian and Ana are dressed in casual clothes and head downstairs to join the children, Margaret and Andrew for dinner. Ana enters the kitchen and sees Gail transferring the food into the serving dishes. "Gail, I can do that. Go and enjoy your evening with Jason. I'm sure he's tired after spending some of the day with Christian."

"Thank you Ana." Gail smiles. "Yes, I'm sure he is. But he was chomping at the bit to get back into the swing of things with Mr. Grey. Jason was getting bored staying here in the Security Center monitoring everything." She laughs. "He has always been a man of action. But that's what I love about him."

"TMI." Ana says with a laugh. "Go home and look after him. The kids and I will clean up."

Once Gail leaves the kitchen, Ana finishes transferring the food into the serving dishes and starts to take them to the informal dining room. When Christian sees Ana carrying the dish, he jumps up to take it from her and places it on the table. "You shouldn't be carrying that, Ana."

"Christian! I'm only pregnant. And it's not like this is the first time I've been pregnant." Ana says. "I'm an old hand at it now." She says with a giggle.

"Where's Gail?" Christian asks with a growl.

"I sent her home to be with Jason. I'm sure spending the day with you will have tired him out. Even though he refuses to admit it, he is still recovering from his gun shot wound." Ana say forcefully.

"Mom. Why didn't you ask for help?" Teddy says as he gets up from the table and heads to the kitchen followed by Phoebe and Andrew. They return with the remaining dishes and everyone starts eating.

"Daddy, can we have a movie night tonight?" Christiana asks her father, giving her best darling daughter pout.

Christian looks around the table at the eager face and then at Ana. He flashes his mega-watt smile when she nods agreement. "Okay! As long was everyone has completed their homework." He says as he looks at Teddy, Phoebe and Andrew.

"I did mine when I got home." Andrew quickly says.

"So did I." Teddy says.

"I didn't have any today." Phoebe assures her father. At the doubtful look on his face, she added "I didn't."

"Okay. But people have to help clear the table and clean up the kitchen." Ana says.

"What movie are we going to watch?" Carrick questions.

"I don't know. What about _Orca_?" Christian asks and is rewarded by Ana's glare.

"What's that about?" Carrick asks.

"Your father is trying to be funny." Ana says as she continues to glare at Christian. "_Orca_ is a movie about a killer whale. Your father was trying to make a joke because just before dinner I said that I felt like a whale."

"Ana, you don't look like a whale." Margaret assures her. "I've known of lots of women who were much bigger at this point in their pregnancy than you are."

"Thank you Grandma Margaret." Ana says with a smile. "I feel like a Disney movie. Why don't we watch _Beauty and the Beast_?" She looks at Christian with a smirk.

"One of my favorite Disney movies." Christian says.

"Is that the one with the girl that looks like Mommy?" Carrick asks. "And she even loves books?"

"And she falls in love with the Beast that lives in a castle with a really big library?" Christiana says gleefully.

Margaret chuckles. "Yes, I can see why that would be one of your favorite movies, Christian." She says with a smirk.

Christian stands up and goes behind Ana's chair, resting his hands on her shoulders as he leans down to kiss her on the cheek. "Yes, the love of this Beauty saved me from continuing to live like a Beast."

Ana raises her hands to rest over Christian's hands. "And you turned into a Prince. Just like in the movie." She leans back at smiles adoringly at Christian.

The older children clear the table and Ana helps them in the kitchen to load the dishwasher and clean up what needs to be done by hand. Once the kitchen is cleaned up, the family members convene in the media room to settle down and watch a movie together. Christian has the popcorn machine running and handing out bowls of freshly popped popcorn to everyone.

Ana snuggles up to Christian on one of the couches. He wraps an arm around her waist to draw her close. He leans down and kisses the top of her head. "Life doesn't get much better than this, does it?"

Ana looks up at Christian, the love shining in her big blue eyes. "No, it doesn't." She reaches up to lightly brush her lips against his.

At the end of the movie, Christiana walks over to Christian and wraps her free arm around his neck and gives him a big kiss on his cheek. "Daddy, you're not a beast."

"No, he's not a beast." Ana agrees with her daughter. "But before you and your siblings came along, he thought he was."

"Well, I'm glad he changed then." Christiana says before unwraps her arms from her father's neck to return to play with her siblings. She takes a few steps and looks back. "But you do roar like a beast sometimes." She giggles.

Ana bites her lip to try to stop her laughter, but a giggle still escapes. "Yes, he does." She says as she looks at Christian with a gleam in her eyes.

Christian leans over to whisper in Ana's ear. "My palm is getting twitchy." He chuckles at Ana's blush. "You normally don't complain when you bring out the animal in me."

"Mommy, are you okay?" Carrick asks with concern when he sees Ana's red face.

"Don't worry about Mom, Carrick." Phoebe says. "Her face usually turns red when Dad is near her."

"Is she allergic to Daddy?" Carrick asks.

"If I am, I'll just have to live with it." Ana tells her son. "And it would only be a mild allergy as he hasn't killed me yet."

Ana shivers when Christian whispers in her ear "I'll have to check you all over for any rashes." Christian smirks when he hears Ana's intake of breath.

Christian groans when Ana runs her hand up his leg. "Laters, Baby." She whispers. "I still haven't modeled my new dresses for you."

"Okay, children." Christian says out loud. "It's time to go to bed." In response to the groans of the children, he adds "Teddy and Phoebe, you can play or read in your room for another hour." The children all say goodnight to Margaret and Andrew and the older children head upstairs. Christian and Ana take Jason and Lucas by the hand and follow the other children upstairs.

An hour later, the children have all been bathed, read to and put to bed. After saying goodnight to Teddy, Christian takes Ana by the hand and leads her into their suite. "You said you had some dresses to model for me?" he questions as he pulls her into his arms.

Ana wraps her arms around Christian's neck and stands on her toes to kiss him on his lips. "Yes, I do. I needed something to fit me for the MADD banquet tomorrow evening. I think my jewelry you gave me for our Vow Renewal ceremony will be perfect with the dress I got."

"The jewelry looks perfect on you without _any_ dress." Christian growls.

Ana giggles. "I somehow don't think you'd let me go to the banquet wearing _just _the jewelry."

"You have that right, Mrs. Grey." Christian says forcefully. He runs his hands over Ana's body to rest on her baby bump. "This naked body is for my eyes only." His hand reaches around to swat Ana's ass. "Now model those dresses."

Ana hurries into her closet and changes into one of the dresses she purchased earlier in the day. She walks out of the closet doing her best catwalk stride. Christian is sitting in an armchair with his legs stretched out in front of him. His eyes light up when he sees Ana stride out of her closet. He moves his hand in a circle to indicate to her to turn around.

The process is repeated for the other dresses Ana purchased. When Ana appears wearing the blue dress, Christian quickly sits upright in his chair. "This is the one, right, Anastasia?" Christian says huskily.

"Yes it is." Ana answers. "I take it you like it?"

"I love it." Christian says. "And you're right. The Vow Renewal jewelry will look fantastic with that dress." Christian stands up and strides across the room to Ana and pulls her into his arms. He cups her face and gazes lovingly into her eyes. "Anastasia, you look fabulous in anything you wear." Christian moves his hands to the zipper on the dress and pulls it down. "And you look even better _out_ of anything you wear." He says with a growl. The dress pools at Ana's feet and Christian grabs her by the waist and lifts her up and away from the dress. Ana gasps, but quickly recovers and wraps her legs around Christian's waist. Christian walks across the room towards the bed where he lays Ana down after pulling back the duvet.

Christian stands back and looks at Ana lying in front of him, his eyes glowing with love. "I love you Anastasia. With all my heart." He says with a raspy voice.

Ana looks lovingly at Christian. "I know you do. Which is why I'm still here." She raises her body up to a sitting position and puts her hand over Christian's heart. "I love you too, Christian." She leans forward to kiss his chest. "And all of your fifty shades."


	77. Chapter 77

"Lelliott, this better be important." Christian barks into his phone, frustrated that breakfast with his family is being interrupted. "WHAT?" he barks again, turning a questioning glare to Ana.

Instead of responding to Christian, Ana jumps up with her phone in her hand saying "Hello Kate." as she heads out of the breakfast room.

Andrew looks around, perplexed, knowing that something is wrong, but has no idea what is wrong. "What's happening?" he asks out loud.

"Don't worry." Teddy tells him. "Something must be up with Uncle Elliott and Aunt Kate. And they often call Mom and Dad to vent."

Phoebe looks at her phone. "Ava just sent me a text." She tells Andrew and Teddy. "Her father is upset about something in the newspaper." She looks at her phone again. "He accused her mother of keeping secrets from him."

"Yes, Elliott. I'm reading today's _Seattle Times_." Christian says. He sighs. "No, the society section is not my first priority when I start reading the newspaper." Christian smirks as he says "I wouldn't have thought it was yours either. I thought you started with the comics." Christian flips through the sections of the newspaper until he locates the society section. "Oh!" Christian exclaims. "No. I don't know if Ana is aware of the change of the guest speaker. We were busy last night." Christian laughs. "Not the whole evening. We had a family night and watched a movie with the children last night."

Ana returns to the breakfast room with a worried look on her face. Ignoring Christian's glare, she addresses the children. "Come on, finish eating up. It's almost time to leave for school." She helps Lucas and Jason finish up the last of their breakfast and clears their plates from the table. The older children take their plates and glasses to the kitchen when they are finished. Phoebe and Teddy help Christiana and Carrick take their items to the kitchen.

"Elliott. I have to go." Christian says, running his free hand through his hair, trying to keep his calm. "We'll talk more later. I need to go now so say bye to my children before they leave for school." Christian disconnects the phone and puts it into his pocket. He sighs as he closes his eyes. When he reopens his eyes, he smiles at his children. "All ready for another day of school?" he asks and laughs at the disgruntled responses.

Christiana walks over to her father. "Are you okay, Daddy?" she asks concerned.

Christian picks her up in his arms. "I'm fine, Princess." He tucks her hair behind her ear. "Uncle Elliott is upset about something and I was trying to calm him down."

"Oh! Okay." Christiana says. She gives her father a big kiss. "Have a nice day, Daddy."

Christian laughs and hugs her tighter. "Always a nice day when I get kisses from pretty girls." He says and is rewarded with Christiana's giggles. "I saw that Mrs. Grey." Christian says to Ana in response to her eye rolling.

"What?" Ana asks innocently. "I can't help it when I hear a corny line like that."

"Corny?" Christian asks with mock hurt. "I'll show you corny." He says with a smirk. He sets Christiana back down on her feet and strides over to Ana. He puts an arm around her and bends her backwards in dramatic fashion before capturing her lips and muffling her gasp. Her hands cling to his arms for support. Several minutes later, Christian stands upright, pulling Ana up with him.

"Oh my." Ana says breathlessly. "You can show me corny anytime, Sir."

"Yes, Daddy. Do corny some more." Christiana says as she bounces with glee. Ana blushes when she realizes the children were watching their parents' display of affection. Christian snickers when he sees both Teddy and Phoebe roll their eyes.

"Enough horsing around." Ana says, trying to be authoritative. "You all need to get to school and your father and I need to get to work."

Magically, the children's security personnel appear at the doorway. The children file out of the room to the foyer and pick up their knapsacks. They hug and kiss their parents goodbye and follow the respective security out the door. Mrs. Livingston arrives at the same time and takes Jason and Lucas outside to play.

"Anastasia, did you forget to tell me something last night?" Christian asks in a controlled voice. "Don't try to sidetrack me by biting your lip." He adds as Ana apprehensively bites her lip.

Ana sighs as she gazes at her husband. "I'm sorry Christian. I completely forgot about it." She walks over to Christian and runs her finger along his tie as she continues to gaze up at him. "What with you seducing me in the bathtub and again later when I was modelling my new dresses as well as family movie time, the upcoming banquet was the last thing on my mind."

"Well, Elliott went ape shit when he read in this morning's paper that Kate's former lover will be the guest speaker at this evening's dinner. It didn't help matters when he confronted Kate and she admitted that you had told her yesterday of the change in guest speaker." Christian says. "Now he thinks that Kate is hiding other details about LeBrun from him."

"It wasn't like that, Christian." Ana tries to assure him. "I opened a letter from MADD while having lunch with Kate. It was news to Kate. She assured me that she hasn't had any contact with Pierre since shortly after he moved to New York. That was before she started dating Simon and long before she got back together with Elliott."

"But you do realize this could put extra strain on their relationship?" Christian asks.

"Yes, I do." Ana assures him. "I told Kate that Elliott needed to be informed that Pierre would be at the banquet so that he wouldn't be taken by surprise. Kate was concerned that if she told him, it would put more importance on the information than it warrants. After all, Pierre is in the past." Ana sighs. "I offered to have you give Elliott a 'heads up', but unfortunately I completely forgot to talk to you about it." Ana bites her lip. "Should I phone Elliott and explain?"

Christian reaches a hand out to pull Ana's lip away from her teeth. "Stop trying to distract me." He orders huskily. "No, I'll call him back on my way to the office." He pulls Ana into his arms and kisses her passionately. When they pull apart, both are breathing heavily. "I'd like nothing better than to pick you up and carry you back to bed. But unfortunately, we both need to go to work."

Ana sighs dramatically. "I know. The woes of being a CEO." She says with a giggle and quickly steps away as Christian is about to give her a slap on her butt. "Laters, Baby." She purrs.

Later in the evening, Christian has his arm around Ana's waist as they walk into the ballroom at the Fairmont where the fundraiser banquet is being held for MADD. They are following Elliott and Kate who enter with Kate's hand in the crook of Elliott's arm. Both couples are greeted by Mildred Mann who introduces them to her husband.

The two couples locate their table and they sit down. Christian positions his chair so that he can put his arm around Ana. He leans in and lightly kisses her. "Have I told you how breathtaking you look this evening, Anastasia?" Christian says huskily.

Ana runs her hand through Christian's hair. "Yes, I do believe you have once or twice since I got dressed." She says with a giggle.

"Christian, the way you're acting tonight, it's a wonder Ana even made it out of the bedroom." Kate says wistfully. "She always looks gorgeous, but with those jewels, she naturally is breathtaking."

"You look breathtaking too, Kate." Elliott says before leaning over to kiss her on her cheek.

"Thank you, Elliott." Kate answers. "I didn't think you noticed."

"Oh, I noticed." Elliott tells her. "You are difficult to miss in that dress."

"Well. It would be nice to be told every so often." Kate says bitterly.

"Elliott, how can you be with a beautiful woman and not compliment her?" Christian chastises his older brother.

Elliott glares at Christian. "Don't start." He says through clenched teeth.

"Christian, would you please get me a sparkling water?" Ana asks, in an attempt to change the topic.

"Of course." Christian says. He stands up and turns to Elliott. "Come on Elliott, let's get our ladies their drinks."

Once the men have left the table, Ana looks questionably at her best friend. "I assume Elliott is still pissed at you about Pierre being the guest speaking this evening?" she asks.

"What was your first clue?" Kate answers sarcastically. "The way he's been going on, you would think that I had made the arrangements." She shakes her head. "He should accept my word that I haven't had any contact with Pierre for the past three years." Kate bites her lip to keep it from quivering. "Just as he expects me to accept his word that he hasn't had any contact with Gia, Lily or any of his other sluts."

"I thought both Gia and Lily had moved away from Seattle." Ana says.

"I believe so." Kate answers. "But you know what I mean. If Elliott expects me to ignore the existence of his past lovers, he should do the same with mine."

Ana sighs. "Well, you have to admit the past few months, Simon has been very visible." She puts her hand up when Kate starts to interrupt. "I don't mean that you have initiated, or encouraged, his presence. But you have to admit that Simon has been very intrusive in our lives the past few months."

"Well, I can't help it. God knows, I've tried to talk to Simon and ask him to stop. But the man is delusional if he thinks his antics would entice me back to him." Kate says.

"Well, Christian is at the end of his rope with that man. But fortunately, he's letting his legal department handle it from now on." Ana informs her friend.

Elliott and Christian return to the table with the drinks. Elliott slouches down in his seat and is eventually still in a foul mood. Ana raises an eyebrow at Christian. "Elliott wouldn't believe me that the bar would not be selling any alcohol." he says in response.

"Well, the event is for Mothers Against Drunk Driving." Ana says. "They couldn't be viewed as encouraging attendees to drive home after drinking. Most people don't have drivers like we do."

"That's what cabs are for." Elliott says in a huff. "It's going to be a long night." He says as pulls at his bow tie. "Fuck, I hate these things." He turns to Christian. "How the fuck do you tolerate these monkey suits, Bro?"

Christian laughs as he shrugs. "It part of my uniform. Besides the business suits for daytime meetings, I do a lot of business at functions like these during the evening."

Ana runs her hand over her husband's chest, treasuring the fact that she can do so because at one time it was a forbidden zone. "And you look quite sexy too. Even sexier than any actor that has ever played James Bond."

Christian takes hold of Ana's hand and holds it to his chest. "And you're sexier than any Bond girl." He says as he reaches his other hand out to tuck a lock of hair behind Ana's ear.

"Get a room!" Kate says. "You two are unbelievable. Ten years together and your seventh child on the way and you two can't keep your hands or eyes off each other."

"Can't help it." Christian says with his panty melting smile. "I've been mesmerized by Anastasia since she stumbled into my office. I've never been the same since." He groans when Ana giggles.

"And thank fuck for that." Elliott says. "I've always loved you, Bro, but you really were a shit before you met Ana." At Christian's raised eyebrow, Elliott continues. "For the most part, you isolated yourself in your ivory tower and rarely even let your family members in." Elliott takes hold of Kate's hand and raised it to his lips. "And of course if you hadn't been mesmerized by Ana, you wouldn't have rushed to rescue her at the bar when she drunk dialled you and I wouldn't have met Kate." Elliott caresses Kate's cheek. "I'm just sorry that I didn't fully appreciate what I had."

"Just don't forget it again." Kate says. "I may not be as forgiving." She adds forcefully.

"Return of Kate the ball-crusher!" Ana says. Elliott looks at his sister-in-law in amazement.

"In addition to having to deal with Kate, you'd have me as well as Mom and Dad to content with." Christian informs his brother. "You got off easy the last time."

Elliott raises his hands in defeat. "Okay, message understood." He takes a sip from his sparkling water and grimaces. "I just wish alcohol was available this evening."

Christian raises his glass and clinks it to Elliott's. "I'm agreement with you Bro. But we need to support this evening's cause."

A woman approaches the table and Christian and Elliott stand to greet her. She becomes flustered when Christian gives her his panty-melting smile. If she notices Ana rolling her eyes or Kate trying to suppress her laughter, she ignores it. "Hello, I'm Isabella Jones." She manages to get the words out. "I work with Mildred Mann. I just wanted to come over to tell you how much I'm impressed with your daughters Phoebe and Ava. The Public Service Announcement they did for us has gone viral." She smiles. "Thank you all for being willing, as parents, to allow your young daughters to do something so public."

"You're welcome." Christian says, flashing his smile again. "I do like to keep our children out of the public eye, but this was for a very good cause."

"And Phoebe really wanted to do it." Ana adds. "And what Phoebe wants, Phoebe usually gets." Ana says with a laugh. Ana looks at Christian with a gleam in her eye. "She takes after her father in that respect."

"Well, I'm glad she did and that you allowed her to do so." Isabella says. "I'm sure that young lady will do much in the future."

"I'm counting on it." Christian says proudly.

"We would like both girls to do additional PSAs, if they are interested. But of course, only with parental permission." Isabella informs them. "And maybe personal appearances as well."

Seeing Christian getting riled up, Ana quickly jumps in. "Thank you, Isabella. We'll discuss it with the girls and each other and will get back to you or Mildred. I'm really not sure about the feasibility of public appearances, but additional PSAs may be a possibility."

Isabella looks disappointed, but quickly recovers. "Thank you. We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you all for coming this evening to support our cause." She shakes everyone's hands and leaves.

Ana leans over to lightly kiss Christian on the lips. "Relax, Mr. Over-Protective Father. The girls could do more PSAs in the privacy of a television studio, or wherever. I would also prefer that they don't do personal appearances." She raises a hand to caress his cheek. "There just wasn't any sense in making a scene here tonight."

Christian takes Ana's hand and raises it up to his lips. "Thank you Anastasia."

"Ana, would you accompany me to the ladies' room?" Kate asks as she stands. "I hate being pregnant and needing to pee all the time." She says with a sigh.

Ana giggles. "One gets accustomed to it. This is only your third time. This is my fifth. At least I don't have two pressing against my bladder this time."

Christian stands and kisses Ana. "Don't be too long, Baby."

"I'm just going to the washroom with Kate. It's not like she's dragging me out shopping." Ana laughs. "Just use the time to re-bond with your big brother."

"As I said, 'Don't be too long'." Christian says with a sigh.

"I'm wounded." Elliott exclaims, putting his hand to his chest. "You sound as if you don't want to spend time with me."

"Fuck off Lelliott." Christian says with a smirk as he sits back down. "Do you blame me, with the mood you're in tonight?" Elliott's only response is a glare.

When Ana and Kate get to the washroom, they find there is the typical line up. Some time has passed by the time they finally emerged from the washroom after doing their business and retouching their makeup.

The women are walking back into the ballroom when they hear a sexy Louisiana accent voice say "Hello Katherine."


	78. Chapter 78

The women are walking back into the ballroom when they hear a sexy Louisiana accent voice say "Hello Katherine."

Kate turns at the voice and smiles broadly. "Pierre!" Before she can say anything more, she is pulled into his strong arms for a hug and then he pulls her back slightly to kiss both cheeks. She steps out of his arms and is breathless and looks around nervously.

Pierre LeBrun turns to Ana. "Hello Anastasia." And he leans forward to kiss her on both cheeks as well, but refrains from pulling her into his arms.

"Hello Pierre." Ana says. "Long time no see."

"What brings you back to Seattle?" Kate asks, doing her best to pretend she was not aware that he would be at the banquet.

"I'm doing a favor for a friend of a friend. I'm in town visiting some friends and their neighbour, Isabella Jones, was frantic that the guest speaker for this evening had to cancel earlier this week." Pierre smiles his infamous smile as he puts his hand to his chest. "So being the gentleman that I am, I graciously offered my services for this evening."

"Gentleman?" Kate says with a laugh.

"You wound me, Katherine." Pierre answers with a gleam in his eye. "And _mon Mere_ would be most upset that someone would think that she didn't raise a gentleman."

"Does she know that her gentleman son is offering his 'services'?" Kate responds with a smile. "To a room full of strangers, no less."

"Ah _Cherie_, you are no stranger." Pierre says. "At least not to me." He purrs. He stands back and eyes Kate up and down before taking her hands and spreading her arms apart. "You look breathtaking this evening." As his eyes scan Kate in her clingy low cut green dress with the high slit. "You always were gorgeous, but you now have that pregnancy glow. Who is the lucky man?"

"Her husband." Elliott says through clenched teeth, standing behind the trio.

Pierre drops his hold on Kate's hands as he turns to look at Elliott. "Good to see you again, Elliott." Pierre extends his hand but soon drops it when Elliott refrains from shaking it. Elliott walks over to Kate's side and puts his arm around her waist. "Yes, I am a lucky man. Kate and I are looking forward to the birth of our third child."

"Third?" Pierre asks in astonishment. "You only had Ava when we were dating, Katherine."

"Yes, well…when Elliott and I remarried, we started to expand our family." Kate informs her former lover.

"Yes, Elliott Junior was born last year." Elliott says proudly as he glares at Pierre.

"Congratulations." Pierre says to both of them. He turns to Ana who is standing with Christian's arms wrapped possessively around her. "And congratulation to both of you too." He smiles. "How many is this now?"

Christian rubs his hand over Ana's baby bump. "This is our seventh."

"Ah! Lucky number seven." Pierre says.

Ana giggles. "That's my nickname for the baby."

"Oh there you are, Pierre." Isabella says as she comes upon the group. "I see you have met the Greys."

Pierre flashes his panty-melting smile at Isabella. Ana rolls her eyes when she sees Isabella preening herself in response. Ana sneaks a peek at Christian from the corner of her eye and sees he is smirking.

"The Greys and I go way back. I knew them when I played for the Mariners." Pierre informs Isabella. Pierre glances at Kate and Elliott. "I actually met Kate and Ana at another fund raiser."

"Oh really?" Isabella asks. "Well, you are a very charitable man, Pierre." She purrs.

"Yes, he is." Kate says. "That evening he offered his services for a date in a Bachelor Auction. I was newly divorced and Ana egged me on to bid on him."

"Ah yes, I remember that evening well." Pierre reminisces. "I was a rookie with the Mariners and my teammates egged me on to volunteer in the auction." He dramatically shudders. "Oh the cougars in the room that evening. Katherine saved me from a fate worse than death when she managed to outbid all the others in the room."

Isabella's smile has started to fade. "So you met the rest of the Greys when you took Kate on your date?" she questions hesitantly.

"Oh no." Pierre says. "I only met Kate's daughter Ava that evening. I had met Ana the night of auction when I touched base with Kate to arrange our date. And of course I had met Christian as the owner of Grey Stadium. I only met Elliott as Kate's ex during the time that Kate and I dated."

"Yes, but I'm no longer Kate's ex." Elliott says forcefully as he keeps his arm around Kate.

Isabella asks "So, Pierre you dated Kate until she returned to Elliott?"

Pierre smiles ruefully. "No. Regretfully, my trade to New York ended my relationship with Kate."

"The bright lights of New York City and the high life was preferable to me in Seattle." Kate says with a forced laugh.

"Oh well. Life is full of choices, isn't it?" Isabella says. "I forgot why I came looking for you Pierre. We need to take our seats. They will be starting to serve dinner shortly."

Ana steps forward out of Christian's arms to approach Pierre. She rises up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "It's been nice seeing you again, Pierre. Teddy continues to follow your career, even though you're on the dreaded Yankees."

"Ah yes, Teddy Bear." Pierre smiles fondly. "Tell him I said 'Hi'." He shakes Christian's hand and turns to Kate and Elliott. He takes Kate's hand and raises it to his lips. "It's been great seeing you again. I know I'm repeating myself, but you look breathtaking. Pregnancy becomes you." He holds his hand out to Elliott who reluctantly takes it to shake. "Take care of her, Grey." Pierre leans forward and whispers in Elliott's ear "Don't fuck it up this time." He steps back and pats Elliott on the arm before turning and escorting Isabella to their table.

"What did he say to you?" Kate asks her husband when she sees his astonished expression.

"Just man talk." Elliott says. "Come on, we should get to our table too. The sooner we get eating, the sooner this evening will end." He ignores Christian's smirk.

When the staff start to clear the dessert plates, Mildred Mann steps up to the microphone. "Hello, for those who do not know me, I am Mildred Mann and am one of the many people who work for MADD, the cause that has brought us all together this evening. As you probably know, we had some unexpectedly publicity recently during a press conference which had an unfortunately turn of events. The agenda got somewhat sidetracked during the conference, so I would like to take this opportunity to, once again, thank the Grey family for their support and very generous donation to our cause." She waited for the audience to applaud. "During that press conference, Christian and Ana Grey's daughter, Phoebe, gave a very heartfelt reflection on the impact of drunk drivers that she has already experienced in her short life time. Initially, her cousin Ava, the daughter of Elliott and Kate Grey, was to speak to talk of her first hand experience of a drunk driver, but at the last second found she wasn't able to speak at the podium. Phoebe stepped in at the last second and spoke off the cuff, but very eloquently. Since that day, the two girls, with their parents' approval, taped a PSA which you may have seen on your local television station. But for those who have not yet seen it, I would like to play it for you now." Mildred steps aside and the PSA is played on the screen behind the podium.

Christian smiles proudly when Phoebe's image appears on the screen. He shifts his chair so that he can wrap his arm around Ana and she lays her head on his shoulder while her hand rests on his leg. When the video ends, the audience gives a standing ovation.

Mildred steps back up to the podium. "Outstanding isn't it. And to think that those two girls are only seven years old. It makes me hopeful of the next generation. I'm sure you will agree with me that those two would have a future in public relations. But given their heritage, I guess I shouldn't be surprised." She looks at the table where the Greys are sitting. "Ana, Kate, Christian and Elliott. Thank you for your support and allowing your young daughters to publically talk about their experiences. You should be very proud."

Christian raises his glass to salute Mildred. Mildred returns to her seat and Isabella replaces her at the podium.

"Good evening." Isabella says. "I would also like to thank everyone to attending this evening. I am Isabella Jones and I work with Mildred for MADD. Earlier this week, we were in a quandary when our original guest speaker had to cancel for personal reasons. As luck would have it, I was talking to my next door neighbor about our situation and their guest, Pierre LeBrun, offered to extend his stay in our fair city and fill in as guest speaker this evening. Some of you may remember Pierre from his brief time in 2017 with the Seattle Mariners before he was traded to the New York Yankees. Although he was only with the Mariners for one season, he pitched a no-hitter while in Seattle. Please join me in welcoming Pierre LeBrun, All-Star pitcher."

While everyone in the room gave a standing ovation, Pierre walks to the podium. He kisses Isabella on the cheek before stepping to the microphone and flashing his panty-melting smile around the room. The room quiets down and people take their seats. "Thank you for the welcome." Pierre says. His eyes scan the room until he focuses on the Grey's table. He locks his gaze on Kate as he continues "I remember my no-hitter quite well. The best night of my life."

Ana sneaks a glance at Kate and sees that her friend is blushing. Ana remembers sitting in front row seats with Kate while Pierre pitched his no-hitter. Instead of sitting in the Grey family box with Christian, Elliott and the children, Ana kept Kate company in seats assigned to family and friends of the Mariners' players. Kate was nervous as the game had proceeded and Pierre continued his no-hitter. She had previously agreed that if he pitched a no-hitter, she would be his sex slave for the weekend. As soon as he struck out the 27th batter, Pierre ran to the sidelines and pulled Kate over the barrier to the field and into the team's dug out. As the cameras for the jumbotron were on the winning pitcher, Pierre's 'kidnapping' of Kate was displayed on the big screen, much to the disgust of Elliott who was sitting in the Grey family box with his girlfriend at the time and other members of the Grey family.

Ana shifts her eyes and sees Elliott is glaring at Pierre. She realizes that Elliott remembers that evening as well. Ana touches Christian's arm and silent motions her head towards Elliott. At first Christian lifts an eyebrow in question to Ana, but soon realizes the significance of Pierre's comment. He pats Ana's hand as a sign that he will deal with Elliott.

During Pierre's speech, Elliott remains at the table but shows signs of restlessness. As soon as Pierre finishes his speech, Elliott stands announces that he is leaving. "Kate, if you want to stay I'm sure Christian and Ana will give you a lift home. But I've had enough. I knew I shouldn't have come this evening when I learned who the guest speaker was. And I was right."

"Elliott Grey! You will NOT walk out on me this evening." Kate says through clenched teeth. "You will sit down and finish out the evening. With me, your wife."

"I will not stay here and watch my pregnant wife being eye-fucked by a former lover." Elliott replies.

"Keep your voice down!" Kate whispers. "I'm sure Christian and Ana don't want us to create a scene."

With a sigh, Christian stands. "Come with me. I believe this is a private dining room just down the hall that is probably empty at this time of night." Christian leans down to give Ana a kiss. "I'll be right back." He whispers. When he raises his head, he motions with his eyes that he wants Reynolds to follow. Christian leads Elliott and Kate out of the ballroom down the hallway just past the washrooms. He knocks on a door and when there is no answer, opens the door and finds it empty. "Here you two. Now hash this argument out in private. Reynolds will be standing at the door to ensure you're not interrupted."

Elliott and Kate storm past Christian into the room. Christian closes the door behind them and turns to Reynolds. "Make sure no one else enters the room. And do not let either one of leave without the other." Christian hurries back to rejoin Ana.

As soon as Christian closes the door to the private dining room, Kate turns to Elliott. "Pierre wasn't eye-fucking me." Kate says. "And don't you start about former lovers, Elliott. You fucked half the women of Seattle before we met and a good portion of the balance after we separated and divorced." She glares at Elliott. "I can't go anywhere in this city without wondering if the woman I'm dealing with, or even just passing on the street, has fucked my husband." She rests her hand on Elliott's arm. "I remarried you because I love _you_ and only you, Elliott Grey. I admit I have fond memories of my time with Pierre. But only because he helped me get my self-confidence back after it was shattered by your very public infidelities." Kate looks Elliott in the eye. "If I had wanted Pierre, I could have joined him in New York. And taken Ava with me."

The blood drains from Elliott's face as he drops back down on to a nearby chair. "You thought of moving to New York to be with that fucker? With Ava?" He turns to Kate and she can see the tears in his eyes. "I never knew that. I always thought that your relationship with him ended because he had been traded to New York and he started living the high life with nightclubs and models." His lips harden as he continues. "And it didn't take you long to take up with Simon Rogers, your boss at the time. You even became engaged to him."

"Yes, while at the same time you were going through how many sluts?" Kate hissed. "For a while there, you had a new one every time I had to contact you about something concerning Ava. Thank God I had been able to get the courts to stipulate that when you had Ava for visitations, you couldn't have your slut of the week stay over."

"Kate!" Elliott exclaims. "This rehashing of our past isn't going to accomplish anything this evening. I've had enough this evening having to sit and watch that Cajun bastard hit on you." Elliott gestures to Kate's dress. "And you can't tell me that when you bought that dress yesterday, you didn't know that your ex-lover was going to be the guest speaker this evening."

Kate sighs. "Yes, I did know. Ana had received notification just as we were leaving her office and she opened the envelope at lunch." Kate walks over to Elliott and runs her hand through his hair. "I will admit that I did hope to find a dress that would make me feel sexy." She looks Elliott in the eye. "In part, I wanted to give myself a boost when encountering an ex-lover while I'm pregnant. But the main reason I choose this dress is that I wanted to feel, and look, sexy for my _husband_."

Elliott's eyes start to gleam with passion. "For me?" he asks huskily.

"I've only ever had _one_ husband." Kate says as she sits on Elliott's lap, gazing into his eyes. Kate leans forward and captures his mouth with hers. As his lips part, she thrusts her tongue into his mouth to explore. Elliott wraps his arms around Kate to pull her closer to him and then runs his hands over her bare back. When his hands reach the zipper, he starts to pull it down. He then pulls on the dress straps to pull them down her arms. Kate releases her hold on Elliott's hair to let the dress straps fall down so that the dress pools around her waist, baring her breasts to Elliott's eager mouth.

They continue to be too occupied with each other to hear the commotion in the hallway. "I'm sorry, Sir and Ma'am. This room is not available." Reynolds attempts to inform the couple standing in front of him after he has blocked their access to the room.

"You look vaguely familiar." Pierre LeBrun says to Reynolds. Pierre cocks his head as he stares at Reynolds. "I know. You're part of Christian Grey's security, aren't you?" At Reynolds' nod, Pierre continues. "Well, I saw both Christian and Anastasia on the dance floor as I was leaving the room, so I know you are not standing guard to protect them." Pierre flashes an evil grin. "Don't tell me, Katherine is in there? With her husband?" Pierre turns to Isabella. "Sorry, _Cherie. _Looks like we'll need to find another room for our _rendezvous." _

Isabella's gaze looks back and forth between Pierre and Reynolds. "What do you mean? This room wasn't supposed to be in use this evening."

Pierre laughs. "Well, another couple beat us to it." He reaches up to tuck a lock of Isabella's hair behind her ear and leans forward to lightly brush her lips before whispering in her ear. "No fear, _Cherie. _We'll just need to find another room for our tryst."

Isabella's blush turns redder as she hears Kate's screams as her orgasm overtakes her, soon followed by Elliott's shouts. Pierre smirks at Reynolds who is trying to avoid making eye contact with anyone and then laughs when he sees Isabella's reaction. "_Cherie_! You must have heard others reaching ecstasy before?" When Isabella's shakes her head in denial, Pierre grins evilly. "Oh _Cherie_, we will have fun this evening."

Pierre takes her by the hand and starts to walk away when he hears the door open behind Reynolds. Pierre stops and turns around to see Elliott walking out of the room, holding hands with Kate. Pierre smiles at their just fucked look. "Ah, Katherine and Elliott! Are you finished with the room?" he asks with a smirk.

Elliott looks at Pierre who is standing with his arm around a red-faced Isabella. He bursts out laughing. "It's all ours, LeBrun." Elliott looks at Kate who is leaning her head on his shoulder and then back at Pierre. "Just remember, once again, I was there first." Elliott smirks when Pierre's only response is to salute him before leading Isabella into the room and closing the door behind them.

When Kate and Elliott re-enter the ballroom, Elliott pulls Kate into his arms onto the dance floor. Kate wraps her arms around Elliott's neck as they sway in place on the dance floor. "Are you okay, Baby?" Elliott whispers in Kate's ear.

Kate raises her head off Elliott's chest to look into his eyes. "Yes. I told you Pierre means nothing to me when I have you." Elliott lightly brushes his lips against hers. When the song finishes, Elliott leads Kate back to the table where Christian and Ana have just returned from the dance floor.

"Everything okay?" Ana asks Kate.

Christian laughs. "Ana. Look at them. They both have a just fucked look about them. Of course they are okay." Christian looks towards the hallway door. "Hmm…maybe we should go for a stroll, Ana."

Elliott bursts into laughter. "A stroll? That's a new euphemism." When Christian starts to stand, extending his hand to Ana, Elliott says. "Sorry, Bro. The room is taken already." At Christian's raised eyebrow, Elliott continues. "LeBrun and Isabella Jones were waiting to make use of the room."

At Ana's gasp, Kate nods her head, laughing too hard to get the words out. Elliott laughs as he recounts the encounter to Christian and Ana and soon all four are laughing.

"Well, then. We might as well head home then." Christian announces. He leans forwards to whisper in Ana's ear "I wouldn't want to be the only not getting fucked this evening." With a smirk he says "Since Ms Jones is indisposed, I guess we will only need to say our farewells to Ms Mann."


	79. Chapter 79

The following morning, Christian is working on a spreadsheet on his computer in his office at Grey House when his desk phone rings. "Grey." He barks into the phone, frustrated with the interruption.

"Mr. Grey." Andrea says. "Mr. Elliott Grey is here to see you."

"Elliott?" Christian says. He sighs. "Send him in." Christian hangs up and removes his reading glasses before pushing his chair back and standing up to greet his brother.

Elliott enters Christian's office, dressed in his working clothes. His boots are covered by mud, indicating that he had come straight from a worksite. He is carrying a mangled newspaper in his hand.

"Elliott? What's wrong?" Christian asks. Elliott rarely visits Grey House, so Christian knows that something is wrong.

Elliott throws the newspaper down on Christian's desk. "Have you read the sports section in the _Seattle Times_ today?" he says in a strained voice.

"No, I haven't had a chance." Christian says as he sits back down behind his desk. "I've barely got through the business sections of the various papers I read each morning. I usually leave the sports section for lunch time reading." As he picks up the newspaper from the desk, Christian asks "What's up?" before he sees the headline.

"**All-Star Pitcher in Talks to Return to Mariners?"**

"This is what has your knickers in a twist?" Christian looks at his brother who is pacing the office.

"Yes!" Elliott hisses. "That fucker LeBrun is returning to Seattle. And I'll loose Kate."

"Elliott. Relax." Christian says. "From what I can see, the writer is only speculating that LeBrun is returning to the Mariners. His contract is up with the Yankees, so he's probably negotiating with various teams. And with him having been seen in Seattle during the past couple of days, it would be a natural assumption that he's in town to talk with the Mariners." Christian looks at Elliott. "But that doesn't mean, one, that he has signed with the Mariners and, two, that he has any interest in Kate and, three, that Kate would leave you for him."

"Don't you know what's going on with the Mariners?" Elliott asks.

Christian laughs. "No, I don't have any more knowledge than you do. I only own the stadium they play in, I don't own the team."

"Why don't you?" Elliott asks. "I thought you own everything."

"Fuck no." Christian answers. "Most sports teams are not a good business investment. In most cases it's an ego boost." Christian smirks at his brother. "And I have enough other ways to boost my ego."

"Must be nice." Elliott says as he flops down into a chair in front of Christian's massive desk. "Everything you touch turns to gold." Elliott runs his hands through his hair. "I wish I had that ability."

"You've had a lot of success with Grey Construction." Christian says. "You've chosen to stay relatively local, only expanding into the surrounding states and not going national like I suggested several years ago."

Elliott gives his brother a frustrated look. "I know. I need to be on site to ensure quality control. And that wouldn't be possible if the sites were more than driving distance from Seattle." He sighs. "But that's not why I'm here." Elliott looks at his younger brother with concern. "I'm worried that Kate will leave me if that fucker LeBrun is back in Seattle."

Christian sighs. "I thought that was all resolved last night at the MADD dinner." He says.

"Well, things are certainly better. But we were still working on our issues." Elliott sighs. "It definitely helped that Kate saw that LeBrun was getting it on with another woman even in Kate's presence." Elliott runs his hands through his hair again. "But of course, that could have just been a ploy to make Kate jealous."

"For fuck's sake, Lelliott!" Christian shouts. "Give Kate some credit." Christian sighs. "I admit I've never been Kate's biggest fan, she's too tenacious for me, but I know she loves you." Christian holds Elliott's gaze. "She was, naturally, devastated, when you started screwing around on her. But she managed to continue on, with dignity, to provide a stable life for Ava. She managed to get her confidence back with her relationship with LeBrun, but that doesn't mean that she wants to resume a relationship with him."

Christian narrows his eyes as he looks at Elliott. "Just what did LeBrun say to you when he whispered something to you when he shook your hand?"

Elliott sighs. "He said 'Don't fuck it up this time'."

Christian nods. "I agree with his statement."

Elliott glares at Christian. "It could also mean that if I do fuck things up with Kate, she is free game." Elliott breaks eye contact. "I'm afraid if he's living in the same city, he will charm his way back into her panties." Elliott says quietly.

"Well then, _you_ need to ensure that you give her no reason to let him back in." Christian says sternly. "And going ape shit at the mere mention of him isn't the way to go about it."

Elliott smirks at Christian. "And when did you stop going ape shit whenever any of Ana's admirers are in the vicinity of Ana?"

"Touche, Bro." Christian says with a grin. "I guess the difference between the two of us is that I've always tried to show Ana that I worship the ground she walks on." Christian looks at his brother. "Can you say the same in relation to Kate?"

Elliott hangs his head. "No." he says quietly.

"Well then?" Christian asks with raised eyebrows. "On the brighter side, for you, since you said Kate saw LeBrun about to get it on with Ms Jones last night, she should be well aware of his nature."

"I can only hope." Elliott says. He sighs as he stands up. "Well, thank you for giving me your time, Christian. I'll let you get back to your mergers and acquisitions." He stops with his hand on the doorknob and turns back. "Oh yea, nice glasses there Bro." he says. "I thought I was the older one." He adds with a big grin.

"Fuck off, Lelliott." Christian says as he puts his reading glasses back on. "Besides, Ana says I look hot in them." He adds with a smirk. Elliott laughs as he exits the office.

Christian is still looking over spreadsheets when Andrea calls to inform Christian that the District Attorney from Detroit is on the phone. Christian sighs in frustration as he takes the call.

"Christian Grey." Christian says when Andrea transfers the call.

"Good morning, Mr. Grey." The caller says. "I'm Felix Henderson, the District Attorney for Wayne County in Michigan. I'm sure you are aware of the murder charges against Frederick Reynolds Senior and Junior?"

"Yes I am." Christian says. "I haven't heard anything lately. Has a date been set for the trial?" he asks as he runs his free hand through his hair. "Or have those fuckers decided to save the state money and admitted their guilt for murdering my father?"

"Unfortunately, they have both pleaded non-guilty. Their trial is set to start December 6th. I'm calling to inform you of that date and ask if you will be attending." Henderson says.

"I plan to. I promised my grandmother, Margaret White, that I would escort her to the trial." Christian says. "Will I be called as a witness?"

"No." Henderson responds with surprise. "Were you expecting to be called as a witness? I wasn't aware that you were involved in the investigation."

Christian sighs. "Well, I wasn't directly involved." He admits. "I gained ownership of the Reynolds car dealership by taking over their franchise rights with Ford. When my accountants were going through the books of the business they discovered the details that led to the Detroit police arresting both men."

"Oh. Dean Wainright is one of your employees?" Henderson asks.

"Yes." Christian confirms. "He was the investigator I assigned to looking into things at the dealership and its affiliated body shop."

"Since Wainright provided information to the police, he is on the list of witnesses." Henderson says. "As you didn't directly find the information, I don't believe there is a need for you to be a witness."

"Okay." Christian said. "I am scheduled to be called as a witness at a trial in Portland Oregon in mid-November, so I just want to make sure that my time with the two don't conflict."

"If I find that I need to call you as a witness, I'm sure we can work around your schedule Mr. Grey." Henderson assures him. "I will have my assistant email you the exact time and place for the trial. Good day Mr. Grey." Henderson says before he ends the call.

Christian presses a button on the phone. "Andrea. Please book four suites at a hotel in Detroit starting the evening for December 5th. One suite will be for Mrs. Grey and myself, the second for my grandmother, Margaret White, and my mother, the third for Richard Conner and Edna Reynolds and the fourth for the security personnel who will be accompanying us. Leave it open ended for now, as I don't know how long we will need to be there." Christian disconnects and smiles as he presses his speed dial for Ana.

"Good morning, Christian." Ana says happily when she answers. "What can I do for you, Sir?" she purrs into the phone. She giggles when she hears Christian growl in response.

"The list is endless, Anastasia." Christian huskily responds. "I would love to have a round of phone sex with you right now, but unfortunately I'm trying to work on a deadline and keep getting interrupted."

"So you called me to procrastinate even more?" Ana says with a laugh.

Christian laughs. "I'll use any excuse to call you." He sighs as he continues. "First Elliott shows up to rant about a headline in today's sports section speculating the Pierre LeBrun's reason for being in Seattle is to negotiate a return to the Mariners. He expected that I had some control over the team's personnel just because I own the stadium. I had to point out to him that I don't own the team."

"Why would Elliott be concerned …." Ana starts to ask. "Ohhh….he's concerned that Pierre would pursue Kate if he's back in town." Ana answers her own question. "I haven't talked to Kate this morning, but I thought she and Elliott were okay after last night."

"Who the fuck knows with those two." Christian says. "I'm tired of playing marriage counselor to Elliott."

"Christian Grey, Marriage Counselor." Ana says with a giggle.

"My palms are starting to twitch, Mrs. Grey." Christian says with a growl. He smiles when he hears Ana's moan in response.

"What other interruptions have you had?" Ana asks.

"The Wayne County District Attorney, Felix Henderson, called to inform me of the trial date for the murder trial." Christian informs Ana. "It is scheduled to start December 6th. I've asked Andrea to book a block of suites for us, Margaret and Edna as well as security."

Ana sighs. "Well, I guess it will be good to get it over with. Will it conflict with the trial in Portland?"

"Henderson assured me it shouldn't, but he would around my schedule if necessary. He doesn't believe he needs me as a witness. I'll just need to be there as support for Edna and Margaret."

"And I'll be there as support for you, Christian." Ana says softly.

"I know, Baby." Christian answers quietly. "That's one of the many reasons I love you." Christian does not have to tell Ana and she does not need to ask Christian's thoughts and feelings on the situation.

"Would you like me to inform Margaret and Edna of the date and the hotel arrangements?" Ana asks. "Should I also tell Edna that we'll have our jet stop in Chicago to pick her and Richard up?"

"Yes, please, Anastasia." Christian answers. "And let Mom know too."

"Okay." Ana says. "Laters, Baby." She says with a giggle as she hangs up.

Ana phones Margaret first to let her know about the date of the trial as well as the arrangements Christian has made. They talk for a few more minutes about the twins antics from earlier in the day. Ana is still smiling when she calls Grace to inform her of the timing and arrangements for Detroit. Ana bites her lip when Grace asks how Christian is handling the information. Ana is relieved when she is able to gloss over it and manages to deflect the conversation by telling her the stories Margaret had told her about Jason and Lucas.

Ana's next phone call is to Edna Reynolds. After an initial protest, Edna graciously accepts Ana's assurance that she and Christian will be paying for the hotel accommodations and it would be no problem for their jet to stop in Chicago to pick up her and Richard. Ana also assures Edna that there shouldn't be a problem for James to accompany them. Edna laughs when Ana tells her "I know his boss is a real ogre but I'm sure I can get him to agree to give James the time off."

Later in the afternoon, Christian returns to his office from a meeting in the conference room to find Phoebe waiting in the outer office with Andrea.

"Phoebe!" he exclaims in delight. "What are you doing here?" Christian looks around. "Where's Cooper?" he demands.

"Hi Daddy!" Phoebe responds with a smile before hugging her father. "Relax. Cooper escorted me up here and left me in Andrea's care while he checks in with Taylor." Phoebe bites her lip as she runs a hand through her copper hair. Andrea suppresses a smile at the sight of Phoebe demonstrating traits from both parents. "I want to talk to you." At Christian's raised eyebrow she continues "About a business loan."

"A business loan?" Christian asks incredulously.

"Yes." Phoebe says as she turns back to her chair and picks up her knapsack. She opens the knapsack and pulls out a document. "I have a proposal and business plan for you to look at."

"A plan?" Christian asks. "Well then, let's go into my office." As Phoebe walks into his office, Christian turns to Andrea. "If I have anything scheduled for the next hour, please reschedule." He flashes a smile showing his proud father smile. "Apparently I have an appointment with Miss Phoebe Grey." He says before following his daughter into his office.

"No, Phoebe." Christian says with a smirk. "That is _still_ my chair. My office, my desk, my chair." He explains as Phoebe had started to head to the massive chair positioned behind the massive desk. He points to the smaller chairs in front of the desk. "People presenting business plans sit there."

Phoebe sighs and rolls her eyes as she moves from behind the desk to sit in one of chairs Christian had pointed to. Christian tries to hide his smile as he says "You know, Phoebe, when someone is planning on presenting a business proposal, one should be gracious and not overstep their boundaries."

Phoebe looks at her father with her big grey eyes. "But Daddy, you've always said to act confident."

Christian tries to look stern as he says "Point well made, Miss Grey." As Phoebe continues to hold his gaze, he bursts out laughing. "Oh, I definitely have to watch my back. You're going to try to take over the company before I'm ready to turn it over to the next generation." He is rewarded with a smirk from Phoebe. "Okay, Miss Grey. What is your proposal?"

Phoebe eagerly pushes her file folder across the desk to her father. "People have been asking me about the cookies and lemonade we did in the summer. I thought with Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons coming up, I could sell cookies and candies and split the proceeds between MADD and Coping Together. But I need a loan from you for set-up costs."

Christian lifts his eyes from the document. "You know, business plans are usually to make profits for people, not raising funds for charity." He informs his daughter.

"I know that, Dad." Phoebe says with a huff. "But I'm only seven, so I don't need to make a living. I thought, as I hone my business skills, I would give the profits to worthy causes."

"Another point well made, Miss Grey." Christian says. As he reads through the document, Phoebe fidgets anxiously in her chair. Christian finishes reading through the document and looks up at Phoebe. She relaxes as he flashes a beaming smile. "Looks like you have covered all the possible expenditures. Have you checked with your Aunt Mia that you would be able to use her commercial kitchen?"

"Yes, I have." Phoebe says. "She said she wouldn't charge me for using it, but I have factored rent into the costs. If she chooses to pass along the payment to one of the charities, that would be great. But I didn't want her business to be out of pocket." She smiles as Christian nods in agreement.

"You plan on paying your 'employees' minimum wage?" Christian asks.

"Yes. Same plan as with Aunt Mia. If they choose to donate their money to charity, great. But I'm not going to force them to donate their time." Phoebe answers.

"What about customers?" Christian asks. "I don't want you making people feel compelled to buy your cookies and candies."

Phoebe reaches into her knapsack to pull out another file folder. "Since the lemonade stand, I've kept a list of people who have asked me if I'm going to make cookies again." She slides the folder across the desk to Christian.

"Holy Fuck!" Christian says. "Oopps. Sorry." He says sheepishly.

Phoebe grins. "I'll remind you this evening to put money into the swear jar." She informs her father.

Christian continues to look over the list of names. "ALL of these people have asked you to make cookies again?" he asks with raised eyebrows.

Phoebe bounces in her chair. "Yes. And several have also asked about candy. If you remember, Aunt Mia helped Ava and I make candies last year to give to people as Christmas gifts."

"And indicated that they would be willing to pay?" Phoebe had organized the list into groups: Grey House employees, Grey Publishing employees, family friends, school friends, general public. Christian's face pales. "How did these contact you? How did they get through security?"

Phoebe bites her lip before saying. "Well, most didn't contact me directly. Only friends were able to do that. Taylor had given me a list from Andrea and Sawyer gave me a list from Hannah of employees that had approached both of them asking how to contact me."

Christian shakes his head how Phoebe has the Personal Assistants of both parents, as well as their top security personnel wrapped around her finger. Christian closes the file folder and sets it on top of the other folder. He stands up and extends his hand across the desk to Phoebe. "Congratulations, Miss Grey." He says with a beaming smile. "You have your business loan."

"Really?" Phoebe says excitedly. She stands up and stretches her hand across the desk to shake her father's hand.

Christian walks around the desk and Phoebe runs into his arms. "I'm really proud of you, Phoebe. I know you'll have a great career ahead of you."

"Thank you Daddy." Phoebe says, her voice muffled as she speaks into his suit jacket. When she pulls her head back, she is sniffling as tears form in her eyes. "I hope I continue to make you proud of me." She smiles as she looks at her father. "You are a good role model."

"Thank you Phoebe." Christian pulls Phoebe back to his chest as he feels tears forming in his eyes. "You have your Mother to thank for that." He whispers into her hair.

Later that evening, Christian and Ana lay in bed in post coital bliss. Christian leans over and brushes his lips against Ana's in a light kiss. "Thank you Anastasia." He says softly.

"For what?" Ana questions. "After the multiple orgasms I just had, I should be the one thanking you." She says with a giggle.

"Oh, I love that giggle." He groans. "No, I'm thanking you for pulling me out of the darkness and into the light. If it wasn't for you coming into my life, and putting up with all my fifty shades, I wouldn't be a good role model for our children." He relates his reaction to Phoebe's comment earlier in the day.

With tears in her eyes, Ana caresses Christian's face before caressing his chest and placing her hand over his heart. "I always knew you would make a good role model for our children." She says with a smile.


	80. Chapter 80

"Look at me Daddy!" Christiana exclaims as she comes running down the stairs.

"Christiana, how many times have you been told to not run on the stairs!" Christian calls out, his heart pounding at the sight of his daughter risking injury running down the stairs.

"Sorry Daddy." Christiana says sorrowfully. "I was in a hurry to show you my outfit for Aunt Mia's Halloween party." Her lower lip is quivering as she tries to talk and her eyes start to tear up because her father is upset with her.

Christian bends down on his knee to hug Christiana. "Don't cry Honey. Daddy isn't upset with you. I'm just afraid that you will fall and hurt yourself. You only recently got your cast off your arm. I wouldn't want to break a leg or arm and have to have another cast, would you?"

"No Daddy." Christiana says as she sniffles.

Christian wipes away her tears and kisses her cheek. He pulls back from her and looks her over. "You look quite pretty in your poodle skirt and bobby socks."

Christiana is all smiles with her Daddy's compliments. "Thank you Daddy. Phoebe and Mommy have the same outfits, but in a different colors." As Christian stands, she looks up at him. "Daddy, why do you have that guck in your hair? It looks funny. Your hair is all slicked down."

Christian laughs and is about to run his hand through his hair when he stops himself. "That's what men did in the 1950s. They slicked their hair down so that it wouldn't fly around, or they had their hair in a buzz cut like Taylor."

Christiana giggles. "Well, it looks funny." She turns towards the stairway and sees her brothers Teddy and Carrick coming down the stairs. Carrick is gripping the handrail as he negotiates the stairs with his walking cast. She starts giggling even more as they are dressed identical to their father: blue jeans and white t-shirt with their hair slicked back in a ducktail.

"Do we really have to dress like this?" Teddy asks with a pout. "I feel stupid."

"Yes, we do. We're going like people from the 1950's." Christian tells his sons. "If it makes you feel better, you'll get to ride in the 57 Chevy." Christian smiles his mega-watt smile as he adds "We'll make quite an entrance."

"Oh! I like that car." Teddy exclaims. "Will it be mine someday?"

"Possibly, Teddy. I intend to take great care of it and hopefully it will still be road worthy when you start driving. But don't forget, it is already over 60 years old." Christian smiles as he continues "I always like riding in it when I was a child and my Grandpa Theodore would take his grandchildren for rides. When he died a few years ago, he willed the car to me. No one had driven it for a few years, so I had to have it overhauled."

"Can we have the top down when we drive to Aunt Mia's?" Teddy asks.

"I don't know, Teddy." Christian replies. "It is late October, so it could be quite cold. I wouldn't want any of us to catch cold."

"What if we wrap ourselves up in blankets? And we have leather jackets to wear as part of our costumes." Teddy says. "Please, Dad."

"We'll see." Christian answers. "The girls won't have leather jackets. Their costumes just have thin sweaters."

"I'll bundle up with a blanket." Christiana quickly jumps into the conversation. "I want the top down too! It's so much fun."

"Tell you what, kids. I'll leave the final decision up to your Mother." Christian says. He briefly closes his eyes at the thought of the security risks. All of the other Grey family vehicles are bullet proof, including the tinted windows. And he's contemplating giving in to the children's wish of driving in an open car.

"What decision are _you_ leaving up to _me_, Mr. Grey?" Ana says as she comes down the stairs. She is supervising Jason and Lucas walking down the stairs. "Be sure to hold on to the railing, boys." she says to her youngest sons.

"Otay Momma." Jason says.

"Me hold tight." Lucas says. When they are at the bottom of the stairs, they turn to beam at their mother. "See Momma. We can do it." Lucas says proudly. "All on our own."

Ana hugs her sons. "That's great. You are both growing up so fast. Just be sure that someone older is always with you though. Do not do it on your own." Ana says.

"You look beautiful, as always, Mrs. Grey." Christian tells Ana as he pulls her into his arms for a kiss. Like Christiana, Ana is dressed in a poodle skirt, blouse and a cardigan. Instead of her usual stockings and high heels, she has ankle socks and saddle shoes. "I prefer your usual footwear, but I guess they would be out of costume." He adds with a frown.

"Thank you kind Sir." Ana replies. "What decision are you leaving up to me?"

"We want to ride in the Chevy with the top down!" Carrick exclaims. "Pleeeeeaaaasseee, Mommy." He hobbles to Ana to hug her. "Daddy said it would be okay as we would have jackets and blankets to keep us warm."

"Your _Daddy_ said it would be okay to drive with the top down, in late October? You are talking about _ Christian Trevelyan Grey_, aren't you?" Ana asks with a mock shocked expression.

Carrick turns to Christian. "You are my Daddy, right? And your name is Christian Grey?" he questions with a confused look on his face.

Christian smirks as he replies. "Well, my name is certainly Christian Trevelyan Grey. And your Mother has always told me that I am your Daddy."

Ana giggles. "Of course you are their Daddy. There has never been any question on that. One just has to look at every one of them to see you in them."

"Well Mom. Can we drive with the top down?" Teddy asks, getting impatient. Just like their father, the Grey children have no patience when they don't get their way in a timely fashion.

"Well, if Mr. Security is okay with it, then I have no objection." Ana announces. "I think it will be fun. I'll need to check with Mrs. Taylor about blankets."

"Did I hear my name?" Gail says as she enters the hallway. "Oh my! What a family. It's like a time warp and I'm in the 1950s."

"Mrs Taylor. We need blankets to keep us warm. Mommy and Daddy say that we can ride in the Chevy with the roof down if we are wrapped up nice and warm." Christiana says as she bounces up and down.

"I think I can come up with enough blankets for everyone." Gail says. "I'll be right back. Better come with me, Ana, to help carry them."

"I hope I'm not late." Andrew says as he enters the hallway.

"No. We're still waiting for Phoebe." Christian says. "And Gail and Ana have just gone to hunt down a supply of blankets."

"We're going in Daddy's '57 Chevy. With the top down!" Christiana says, bouncing up and down.

"You have a '57?" Andrew asks Christian. "Awesome! I can remember my Grandfather had one. It was great!"

"What's going on?" Phoebe asks as she comes down the stairs.

"We're going to ride in Daddy's Chevy with the top down!" Christiana shouts, still bouncing up and down.

"That sounds like fun!" Phoebe says. "When are we going?"

"We should be ready to go shortly. We're just waiting for Gail and your Mother to locate blankets." Christian says. "Phoebe. You look lovely."

"Thank you Dad." Phoebe responds. "You look funny, Daddy. With you hair all greased up." She looks at her brothers and then back at her father. "Are you all 'greasers'? Like in the movie _Grease_?"

"How do you know about that movie?" Christian asks.

"Ava and I watched it recently when I did a sleepover at her house." Phoebe responds. "Why couldn't I wear an outfit like the girl did at the end of the movie?"

Christian pales at the image of his daughter wearing the skintight black outfit. "Ahhh. No to that Phoebe. Over my dead body...ever." he says. "_Now, Ana in such an outfit is a different situation" _he says to himself. "_But for my eyes only."_ Christian finds himself hardening at the image in his mind.

"Whatever!" Phoebe huffs. "I bet Ava would be allowed to."

Christian rolls his eyes. "That's up to her parents. Her mother probably has done so at some point in the past."

Ana and Gail reappear, both loaded down with blankets. "Okay here we are. Everyone ready to go?" Ana asks.

"Taylor and Sawyer should be out front with the vehicles. Just give us a couple of minutes to take the top down on the Chevy." Christian says. "Guys, put your jackets on. We need to be in costume."

Ana ensures that everyone have their jackets and sweaters on before heading outside. "Jason and Lucas, you will need to go in the SUV with me, Taylor and Sawyer. Unfortunately, your car seats don't fit into the Chevy. You'll be right behind us." Ana sees that they are both starting to tear up. "Don't cry. We'll both be nice and warm while your brothers and sisters will be freezing." she says with a grin.

"Warm." Lucas says with a smile. His brother Jason claps in glee.

Outside Andrew helps Ana get Jason and Lucas fastened into the seats while Christian is supervising the other children. Ana walks over to Christian and wraps her arms around him. "I'll be riding in the SUV with the twins." she tells him. When he starts to open his mouth to object, she puts her finger against his lips and whispers "Count." Christian quickly scans the number of people and then nods in agreement. "We'll all walk in together. It will be fine." Ana assures him.

Ana checks on her older children. Christiana and Phoebe are in the back seat, both wrapped in blankets as well as sharing one draped over their laps, which they also share with Carrick. Teddy is in the middle of the front seat with Andrew in the passenger seat. Both share a blanket draped over their laps. After kissing the children, Ana climbs into the SUV to sit between the twins. Taylor will be driving, with Sawyer in the front passenger seat.

"Everyone ready?" Christian calls out and hears a chorus of "YES!" in response.

"Wave to your brothers and sisters." Ana tells her youngest. The children in the back seat of the Chevy have turned around to wave to the occupants in the SUV. Ana giggles as she tells Taylor and Sawyer "Christian must be having a fit with the kids moving around in the open back seat."

"Yeah." both Taylor and Sawyer respond at the same time. Ana smirks when she sees that they turn to each other with big grins on their face.

"He does love driving that car, though." Taylor says. "It is a beauty."

The cars pull up in front of the home of Ethan and Mia. Andrew assists the children out of the rear seat of the Chevy while Christian heads to the SUV to assist with getting the youngest twins out of the car seats. Christian takes Ana by the hand and they head the procession of their family up to the front door of the house.

As the family approaches, Mia swings open the front door. "Oh My Gawd! You brought Grandpa's car! Can I go for a ride in it later? I used to love our drives when we were kids."

"Maybe another day, Mia. Aren't you hosting this party?" Christian asks dryly.

"Yes I am. And it's about time you got here." Mia tells her brother, trying to look intimidating and failing. "You all look cute." Ana giggles at the look of disgust on the faces of the males.

"I don't do _cute_." Christian says through gritted teeth. "I wanted to use the Chevy and this seemed the best costume for us ruggedly handsome men." Christian flashes his mega-watt smile and adds "Of course, the females look cute in the poodle skirts and saddle shoes." He leans down to quickly kiss his sister on the cheek.

"Look at me, Aunt Mia!" Christiana says as she twirls around. She laughs as the skirt swirls out in a circle.

"Christiana, you do look cute." Mia tells her niece.

"You look pretty, Aunt Mia." Christiana tells her. "You look like a queen."

"Thank you Christiana." Mia says. "That's the look I was going for. I'm Queen of this castle." Christian rolls his eyes, but refrains from saying anything.

Ana steps forward to give her sister-in-law a kiss. "Are Kate and her gang here yet?"

Mia laughs. "Oh yeah! Just wait until you see them. They didn't exactly come as a family ensemble like you guys, but Elliott and Kate are dressed as a couple." She says with a grin. The grin grows wider as the questioning look on the faces of both Christian and Ana.

Mia steps aside to let Christian, Ana and their children into the house. As soon as she enters the house, Phoebe spots Ava. "Ava!" Phoebe calls out and rushes over to her cousin.

"Phoebe!" Ava shouts in return. "Oh I love your costume!" Ava exclaims. "Ohhh! Your whole family came as a group. Dad tried to do that with us, but I didn't want to." Ava motions to her costume. "I wanted to be a ballerina." Ava looks past Phoebe and spots Andrew. She whispers to Phoebe "Do you think Andrew likes my costume? He's so dreamy. Does he have a girl friend? You're lucky that he's living at your house."

Phoebe shrugs. "Just one more brother. He spends more time with Teddy playing catch, when he's home. He involved with a lot of after school things, but I don't think he has a girl friend. At least he's never brought one home."

Just as Phoebe had spotted her closest cousin, Christiana did the same with her cousin Grace. "Gracie!" Christiana shouts and runs to her. "You look just like a princess!"

Gracie laughs. "I know. Momma had lots of fun shopping to find matching queen and princess dresses." Gracie giggles and adds "Dad isn't too happy in his knight outfit." Gracie takes Christiana by the hand and says "Come on, let's go play some games."

The two young girls start running off to the family room but quickly come to a stop at the commotion in the hallway. Christiana grimaces when she recognizes her father's voice.

"ELLIOTT TREVELAYN GREY! WHAT THE FU.." Christian shouts before Ana manages to put her hand over his mouth to stop him.


	81. Chapter 81

When Ana manages to get Christian to stop his tirade of swearing, she starts laughing until tears are coming down her face. Kate has a long brunette wig on and is wearing a maternity gown with a very large baby bump, much bigger than she actually is at this point in her own pregnancy. As Christian and Ana stare at her, she rolls her eyes and bites her lip. Standing beside her, with one arm around her waist and the other rubbing her belly is Elliott – dressed in a business suit and wearing a copper haired wig. In Kate's arms is Elliott Junior, dressed identical to his father.

In between bouts of laughter, Ana says "Kate, no wonder you wouldn't tell me what your costumes were. This is so funny." She looks at the stunned expression still on Christian's face and starts another bout of laughter. "Ohhhh….I need to go to the bathroom. I'm about to wet myself." As she's about to turn to leave the group, she hears a cell phone ring. She sees Elliott pull a phone out of his pocket and barks "Grey." into the phone while running his other hand through his hair. She starts to laugh even harder and tears are again running down her face. "Kate, please come help me in the bathroom. I may need help to clean myself up."

Kate hands mini-Christian over to his father and takes Ana by the arm to help her to the bathroom. Once inside the room, Ana rushes to the toilet. Kate leans against the back of the door and starts laughing almost as much as Ana had been. "Oh! The look on Christian's face was priceless!" Kate manages to say while still laughing.

Ana finishes at the toilet and heads to the sink. "Yes, I've never seen him so stunned before." She giggles. "Who came up with the idea?"

"It was Elliott." Kate responds. She motions to her outfit. "You're not upset with mine?"

Ana starts laughing again. "What's that expression about imitation and flattery?" Ana reaches over and pats Kate's padded stomach. "I don't remember ever being this big, even with either set of twins."

Kate laughs. "You know Elliott…overboard with everything."

"I guess we better get back to the party. Hopefully Christian hasn't killed Elliott – yet." Ana says. "Has Grace and Carrick seen you yet?"

Kate laughs. "Oh yeah. Grace laughed almost as hard as you did. You were too busy laughing, but I believe she was standing near us with a camera. She wanted to be sure to get Christian's reaction. I hope the video turns out. It will be great in the family Year in Review video."

"If Grace's camera doesn't encounter an 'accident' before then." Ana says with a smile. Kate laughs.

As soon as Ana steps out of the bathroom, Christian is at her side. "Are you okay, Anastasia?" he asks.

Ana reaches a hand up to caress his cheek. "I'm fine, Christian. How are you? Or should I be asking is Elliott is okay?" she says with a smirk.

Christian rolls his eyes. "Yea, now I'm just a Halloween character." He huffs. Christian looks at Kate. "Did you know he's carrying a set of handcuffs in his pocket? And a blindfold?"

Ana starts laughing again. She grabs Christian's arm and says "Oh stop. I managed to get to the bathroom earlier, but I don't want to push my luck." Ana tries to calm herself down. "What? No silver balls?" and then burst into laughter again.

"I don't know. He didn't offer those to me and I didn't ask." Christian smirks. "I was doing my damnest to not strangle him." Christian looks around. "I need a drink, no a double. I've already had a lecture from my mother about my outburst. I don't need another." He looks at Kate. "Kate, just be sure he doesn't flaunt whatever toys he has in his pockets. There are children here."

"Don't worry Christian. Elliott knows the consequences if he flaunts his pocket toys. I'm the only one that gets to see them." Kate says forcefully before walking away, not seeing the look of concern shared by Christian and Ana.

"Oh there you are Ana." Grace says as she maneuvers her way over to Ana and Christian. "Both of you and the children look fantastic. The nostalgia of the fifties was very popular when I was your age. I'm glad to see it continues."

"Thank you Grace." Ana says. "I like your witch's outfit. Where did you get such a tall hat?"

Grace laughs. "I found it in the attic a couple of months ago. It's probably part of one of Mia's costumes. She has always gone overboard for Halloween." She touches Christian's arm. "Christian, don't be upset with Elliott. It's all in good fun. You know he's always enjoyed Halloween almost as much as Mia."

"I know, Mom. It just threw me when I saw him and Kate." Christian sighs. "At least he seems to be attentive to Kate this evening. If imitating Ana and myself helps bring them closer together, then so be it." At the concerned look on his mother's face, Christian decided to change the subject. "Mom, did the children tell you that we drove Grandpa's Chevy here?"

"Yes, Christiana ran over to me to show off her outfit and told me about the car." Grace says. "I can't believe that you let them talk you into driving in late October with the top down."

Christian beams his mega-watt smile. "I wanted to do it too. We made sure the children were covered with blankets." Christian's smile quickly changed to a frown. "But I didn't like the kids turning around to wave to Ana and their brothers in the SUV that was behind us." He glares at Ana.

Ana giggles and puts her hands up. "Hey, don't blame me. I didn't encourage them to do that." She runs her hand over Christian's chest. "They were just so happy to be riding in the car that they were showing off." She rolls her eyes before saying "I don't know where they get that need from."

Christian puts his arm around Ana to pull her close to his side. He leans down and whispers in her era. "My palm is getting twitchy, Mrs. Grey." He smiles when he is rewarded with a soft moan and giggle.

"Maybe you can borrow Elliott's toys." Ana whispers in his ear.

Christian's smile turns to a frown when he hears the sound of a ringing phone followed by Elliott's barking "Grey." Christian looks at his wife and mother. "Am I really that bad with a phone?"

Ana rolls her eyes, but refrains from answering. Grace smiles as she responds "Yes. Although you have gotten better over the years." She smiles at Ana. "Once Ana came into your life, you had other distractions from your business dealings." She touches Ana's arm. "I'll always be thankful for the day you came into Christian's life, Ana. And for standing by him through all his issues."

"Thank you Grace." Ana replies. She hugs Christian and looks adoringly up at him. "He is easy to love. I've never regretted filling in for Kate for that interview." Ana looks around and says "I guess we should mingle. I don't see the children, but knowing Mia, there will be lots of games and activities to keep them occupied." She gives Christian a look. "They will be fine. I'm sure if something happens, we'll hear them." She giggles when she hears Christian give an over dramatic sigh.

"Okay. Come on, I hear music. Let's dance." Christian says as he says farewell to his mother and takes Ana by the hand in the direction of the music. An area of the basement recreation room has been cleared for dancing. Christian pulls Ana into his arms and they glide around the room to the waltz. Christian laughs when the next song is a rock and roll song from the 1950s. "You up to jiving?" Christian asks. "I don't want you risking the baby."

"Just don't flip me, and we should be fine." Ana says. As they start jiving to the music, others clear off the dance floor to give them space. At the end of the song, everyone starts clapping. Christian laughs as he sees Ana blushing and pulls her into his arms for a hug before bowing to the crowd.

"I need to sit down for a bit, Christian. Would you please get me some water?" Ana asks as she starts to look around for an empty chair. She smiles appreciatively to the woman who vacates one of the plushy arm chairs pushed up against the wall. "Thank you."

Christian returns to her side a few minutes later with a glass of ice water and hands it to her. He balances himself on the arm of her chair. "How's Lucky doing?" he asks. Ana rubs her stomach and says "I think she has stopped jiving now." She laughs at Christian's raised eyebrow at her use of 'she'. "You know we have chosen to not know the sex of the baby. I just don't like saying 'it'."

Christian pulls Ana to her feet and sits down in the chair, pulling her onto his lap. She smiles as she snuggles against his chest and closes her eyes as he rubs her back. "Life is pretty good, isn't it Christian?" When he doesn't respond, she opens her eyes to look at him. He is glaring at something across the room and she turns to see what is bothering him. "Relax Christian. I'm sure everything will be fine." Christian is watching Andrew slow dance with a teenage girl.

"I'm sorry Ana. I'm just concerned of what may happen." Christian says. "After what he was exposed to earlier this year, I'm afraid his values have been warped. Or at best, his expectations of a relationship has been skewed. Do you know who the girl is?"

Ana looks closer at the girl. "I'm not sure. It's difficult to tell in this light. I think it may the girl Mia and Ethan often use for baby-sitting. I think she's a neighbor." When Ana realizes that Christian is about to stand up, she pushes him back down. "Stay. Don't interfere. At least not at this point in time. Andrew has been through a lot this past year. We need to try to let him lead a normal life. Or at least as normal a life as is possible in the Christian Grey household."

"Okay. I'm not happy." Christian pouts. "But I'll follow your advice on this. At least for now."

Ana brushes her lips against Christian's. "You'll always be my Fifty, won't you?" she giggles.

A few minutes later, Andrew comes over to where Christian and Ana are still sitting. "Christian. Ana. I would like you to meet Cheryl Houston. She lives next door to Mia and Ethan and goes to my school. We have History together."

Ana remains seated on Christian's lap, but extends her hand out to shake Cheryl's hand. "Nice to meet you Cheryl." She says. When Christian makes no response, Ana uses her other hand to pinch his leg.

Christian glares at Ana as he sets Ana on to her feet before standing himself. Christian extends his hand to Cheryl. "My pleasure to meet you Cheryl. It's always nice to meet Andrew's friends."

Cheryl blushes and lowers her eyes. "It's nice to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Grey." She says softly. She raises her eyes to look fondly at Andrew. "I'm enjoying having Andrew as a study partner for History this year."

Ana's eyes gleam as she sees the look exchanged between Andrew and Cheryl. "Yes, I always found that studying was better when you have a partner."

"Oh really, Anastasia? Do tell." Christian growls and he pulls her back against his chest.

Ana turns sideways to look lovingly up into her husband's face. She raises a hand to caress his cheek. "Yes, studying with Kate helped improve my grades."

"Kate? Oh, okay." Christian says. He lowers his head to lightly brush his lips against Ana's. She moans as she runs her hands through his hair. She holds his mouth over hers as she deepens the kiss.

Cheryl's face reddens as she glances at Andrew. Andrew laughs as he takes her by the hand to lead her away. "Just ignore them. They are always doing that. They live in their own world sometimes."

Cheryl smiles wistfully. "It's nice to see couples like that. It's so rare."

"Yes it is." Andrew agrees. "Life has become very interesting since I moved in with the Greys. They are all very loving and welcoming." He looks at Cheryl. "Come on, let's dance." He says as leads her to the dance area.

Awhile later Ana comes out of the bathroom and overhears Phoebe and Ava talking in the kitchen. It sounds as if Phoebe is trying to console Ava about something. Ana heads to the kitchen to see what is wrong. "Is something wrong girls?" she asks as she enters the kitchen.

Ava uses a tissue to wipe tears from her eyes. "It's okay, Mom." Phoebe says. "Ava was upset about something, but she's okay now."

"Oh. What happened, Ava?" Ana asked concerned.

Ava sniffles as she says "It's okay, Aunt Ana. Just some boy trouble."

"Boy trouble? You're only seven." Ana exclaims. "You are your mother's daughter, aren't you?" she says with a slight smile. Ana caresses Ava's hair. "Who's the boy?"

"Andrew." Ava says softly. "He's got a girlfriend." She says as she sniffles.

"Andrew?" Ana says with a gasp. Ana pulls Ava into her arms. "Oh honey. You're much too young for him."

"No I'm not." Ava says forcefully. "The age difference is about the same as it is for Mom and Dad."

"That's true." Ana agrees. "But they were both adults when they met. Andrew is a teenager and you're still a child." Ana pulls Ava back, stroking her hair away from her face to look her in the eye. "Things would be different in another ten, not make that fifteen, years when you are both adults."

"But I love him, Aunt Ana." Ava says.

"Ava!" Ana exclaims. "Despite what you and Phoebe think, you are both still children. What do you have in common with Andrew?"

Ava steps back and starts pacing, fidgeting with her hands. "We have fun at the family get togethers." Ava turns back to her aunt with a dreamy look on her face. "And he's soooo good looking."

"Yes he is." Ana agrees. "But that still hasn't answered my question about what you have in common with Andrew."

"We like the same movies and music." Ava says.

"When have you had discussions about movies and music with Andrew?" Ana asks.

"At your place. And at Grandma's." Ava says.

"At the family gatherings? Never one on one?" Ana probes. When Ava shakes her head, Ana pulls her niece back into her arms. "Oh honey, that's not discussions. That's just going along with a group."

Kate walks into the kitchen and stops short when sees her daughter in Ana's arms. "What's wrong?" she asks with concern.

Ana smiles wistfully. "Just some boy problems." She says. "Does Ava have pink pyjamas?"

"Pink pyjamas?" Kate asks. "Oh no!" she exclaims. During their college years, Kate would always wear a set of pink pyjamas as the two girls would eat ice cream as Ana would try to console a crying Kate. "Ava! You're too young to have boy problems."

Ana giggles. "Don't forget who her parents are." She says.

Kate grimaces. "Seven is too young. Even for me." Kate looks at Ana. "I didn't discover boys until I was at least nine." She says with a smirk. Kate walks over to the refrigerator and opens the freezer. She pokes around and pulls out two ice cream cartons. "Strawberry or chocolate?" she asks Ava.

"Strawberry." Ava says.

Kate puts the chocolate ice cream back into the freezer and looks through drawers until she finds the cutlery drawer. She pulls out four spoons and sticks them into the open carton. "Dig in girls." Kate says as she helps herself to the first scoop. "Now, who's the boy?" she asks her daughter.

"Andrew." Ava says dreamily.

Kate chokes on her ice creams. "Andrew?" she manages it get out as Ana thumps her on the back. "Ava! He's too old for you. I thought you were talking about that boy in your class, what was his name, Robert something?"

"Robert Smith?" Phoebe says. "Oh he is _really_ nice." She says in a dreamy voice. Kate smirks when Ana chokes on her ice cream.

"Phoebe!" Ana exclaims. "You know there is no sense in you falling for any guy while your father is still alive."

Phoebe rolls her eyes. "I know, Mom." She sighs. She tilts her head to the side and she grins. "Of course, that would only be if he knew about it."

Ana sighs. "Oh, trust me Phoebe. Your father will know." She smirks as she adds. "Believe me when I say your father is Mr. Stalker Extra-ordinare."

Kate laughs. "Yes, Phoebe. I'm sure if your father had his way, both you and Christiana would be wrapped in bubble wrap and schooled in a convent."

Phoebe stomps her foot. "THAT'S so unfair! I'm sure he wouldn't think to send the boys to a convent." But

"Relax Phoebe." Ana says. "I've managed to stop your father on the convent idea. But please don't push his button on that. You're only seven, so there are still many years we need to get your father through."

Kate laughs. "Oh the teenage years will be interesting watching Mr. Overprotective dealing with teenage daughters." Her eyes sparkle when she looks at Ana. "But I'm sure Ana will do her best to keep him calm."

Ana puts her spoon in the dishwasher. She smirks as she says "Speaking of keeping him calm, I better go find him before he realizes how long I've been out of his sight."

Teddy appears at the doorway. "Oh there you are Phoebe and Ava. A bunch of us are going to play video games in the media room." Teddy grins at his sister. "_Robert_ is one of them." Phoebe blushes as she and Ava follow Teddy out of the kitchen.

Ana turns to Kate. "Do you think I can get Taylor to lock up Christian for the next fifteen years?" She looks down at her baby bump. "Or maybe it should be twenty years, in case this one is another girl."

"You're still not going to find out the sex of the baby?" Kate asks.

"No. I want this one to be a surprise." Ana says. "What about you?"

"Same thing." Kate answers. "Let's go join our men and see if Christian has killed Elliott yet." Ana giggles as Kate links her arm and leads her out of the kitchen.


End file.
